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PLAYTIME GAMES 

for 

BOYS AND GIRLS 

Told in Story Form 



By 

EMMA C DOWD 
Autbtr ef^*- Polly of the" Hospital Staff' 




PHILADELPHIA 

GEORGE W. JACOBS & COMPANY 

PUBLISHERS 



o^^ 






Copyright, 191 2, by 

George W. Jacobs & Company 

Published June, igi2 



All rights reserved 
Printed in U.S. A. 



CC!.A314298 



To 

Playing children 

everywhere 

E. C. D. 



# 



Note 

Many of the games included in this vol- 
ume have previously appeared in the fol- 
lowing periodicals: '^What To Do/' 
"The Mother's Magazine, '^ ^^Dewdrops," 
" The Youth's Companion, '^ "Good House- 
keeping," " The Congregationalist,'' "The 
Mayflower," "Zion's Herald,'' "TheEp- 
worth Herald," "The Sunbeam." The 
grateful thanks of the author are hereby 
extended to the publishers of these papers 
for their permission to use such material. 



Playtime Games for Boys 
and Girls 



THE LITTLE OLD LADY OF LYNN 

" Oh, for a game of tag ! " wished Alice 
Chapin, at the close of a stormy Saturday. " I'm 
tired of keeping still." 

" Aunt Kuth's eyes are dreamy," spoke up Carl. 
" If you're planning a new game, auntie, do make 
it a lively one. I've been quiet about as long as 
possible." 

" Your mother may think this too lively before 
we are through," Aunt Ruth said, laughing, " for 
the Little Old Lady of Lynn will occasion a good 
deal of noise." 

" Oh, mother won't care ! " replied Bertha. 
" Do tell us what it is ! " 

" Well," and Aunt Ruth smiled, " it comes of 
the trouble the Little Old Lady of Lynn always 
had in packing. 



8 Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 

" The Little Old Lady of Lynn, 
She never knew how to pack ; 
She'd begin and go back and begin, 
And go back and begin and go back.'' 

" How funny ! " cried Bertha. " But I don't 
see how you play it." 

" We will clear this side of the room," said Aunt 
Ruth, and she started to move things away. 
" Leave four chairs," she directed, as the children 
sprang to help. 

" Alice," she went on, " you may fetch a needle- 
book, a spool of thread, a thimble and a pair of 
scissors from my work-basket, and lay them in a 
row over on the couch. And, Bertha, you may 
get an apple and a fruit-knife and a napkin from 
the dining-room, and put them in the same row. 
Let me see, that makes seven articles. I think 
you will be able to manage three apiece. So you 
had better find a sheet of paper and a pencil and 
a magazine to go with the other things. And 
here is my apron — ^you can fold this up and put it 
there, and my purse will make out the dozen. 

" Now I am going to show you how the Little 
Old Lady of Lynn does her packing, but first I 
will place her articles in your care, three to each 
of you. Alice may take charge of the needle- 



Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 9 

book, spool of thread and thimble ; Carl, the scis- 
sors, apron and purse ; Norton, paper, pencil and 
magazine ; Bertha may see to her apple, fruit- 
knife and napkin. Whenever I mention any of 
these articles, the one in whose care it has been 
placed must go over to the couch and fetch it to me, 
and the one who is standing may take the empty 
seat, if he can get it. Here are only four chairs, 
one each for three of you, and the other for me." 

" Oh, I see ! " cried Carl. 

" That's where the fun comes in ! " 

''It is something like stage-coach, isn't it?" 
asked Alice. 

"A little," Aunt Kuth replied, "only more 
lively, if I act well my part." 

" I'll stand," Carl volunteered. 

" Now I am the Little Old Lady of Lynn," said 
Aunt Euth, and she took up her shopping-bag and 
opened it. 

" What shall I put in first ? I must have my 
needle-book, anyway, for I dare say I shall tear 
my dress before I get home." 

Alice rushed for the needle-book, while Carl 
slipped into her chair ; but the Little Old Lady 
was sa3ring : 

"And I mustn't forget my scissors- " 



1 o Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 

Carl started, and Alice was taking his seat. 

" For I shall need them," went on the voice, 
"to cut off my thread." 

Carl was in the chair when Alice reached it, 
but he had to jump up in a hurry, for the Lady of 
Lynn continued : 

" I'll put my purse right in now, so that won't 
be forgotten, and a magazine, for I shall want 
something to read on the train." 

Carl and Norton raced back abreast, but Carl 
got the chair. 

" Oh," cried the little lady, " I almost forgot 
my apple ! And I'll put in my apron right here 
by the side of it, for I shall need it when I cut my 
apple — there, I must have a fruit-knife, too ! And 
I declare, I forgot my thimble ! That must go 
with my sewing things — oh, dear, I shall have to 
begin all over again ! " And the little old lady 
turned her bag upside down, and the laughing 
children hurriedly deposited the articles on the 
couch once more. 

" Seems to me there's a good deal of noise in 
here," said Mrs. Chapin. 

" Oh, come and play with us ! " cried Alice. 
"We're having great fun." 

Norton fetched another chair, Alice explained 



Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 1 1 

the game, while Carl and Bertha gave the purse 
and the napkin into her keeping. 

Then for the second time the Little Old Lady 
of Lynn began to pack her bag. 



THE SANDMAN 

Isabel Kamsey and her brother had come in to 
see the young Chapins, when Clementime Hotch- 
kiss and Tom Hunter — two more neighbors — ap- 
peared. 

" Oh, Aunt Kuth, tell us something to play ! " 
cried Alice. " It is such fun to have eight of us 
together." 

" Yes, do, please ! " chimed in Carl and Bertha. 

" All right ! Put the chairs in a circle," bade 
her aunt, and the children flew to obey, while she 
ran up-stairs to her own room. 

She returned almost at once, bringing a big 
sheet of wrapping-paper and a quantity of tissue- 
paper of various colors. 

The girls and boys pressed around her, eager to 
see what she was to make, and excitedly begging 
to know about the game which should include the 
large cornucopia that she deftly fashioned and the 
tiny bits of tissue with which she filled it. 



1 2 Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 

" I think we will call it The Sandman," she 
announced presently. "Suppose we let Tom 
handle the horn, and put the rest of us to sleep — 
but no, there must be somebody for watchman. 
I may as well take that chair." 

It was with much merriment that the children 
settled themselves in the circle of seats. There 
was one too many for the seven, and Mrs. Chapin 
was invited to occupy the empty chair. 

Meantime Aunt Euth had been giving the 
Sandman his instructions, along with his horn of 
pretty paper bits, and he stood back of the circle 
ready to act his part. 

" Every one who laughs, or who opens his eyes 
after the sand has touched them," explained Aunt 
Ruth, " must pay forfeit." 

" We might have had some real sand," spoke 
up Alice. 

" That wouldn't be safe for the eyes," returned 
her aunt. " The paper is better." 

" And prettier," added Norton. 

The word was given, and the children waited 
in sober silence while the Sandman began his 
pleasant task. 

Lifting his horn over Bertha Chapin's head, he 
dropped a little of its contents on her face. 



Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 13 

A soft giggle was heard, and Aunt Ruth's 
pencil marked " forfeit " against the name of the 
now nodding sleeper. 

Arthur Ramsey sat next. He and Tom were 
close chums. 

" This boy has loafed all day long," commented 
the Sandman. " It'll take an awful lot of sand to 
put him to sleep." Shaking out a generous 
quantity, he proceeded with his remarks : " My ! 
what a funny little nose he has ! Looks as if he 
was smelling something he didn't like." 

Notwithstanding his efforts to keep a straight 
face, Arthur's lips began to pucker, and hushed 
laughter ran around the group. The Watchman's 
pencil was again busy. 

" This girl," said the Sandman, halting behind 
Alice Chapin, " has been playing hard. She'll go 
off easy." She did, her head drooping with the 
first touch. 

Isabel Ramsey, Mrs. Chapin, and Norton man- 
aged to keep sober faces, notwithstanding the 
absurd comments of the Sandman. 

Clementine Hotchkiss was the last, and all were 
awaiting her trial with curiosity, for she had de- 
clared that nothing could make her laugh. 

" Sha'n't have to waste much sand on this girl's 



14 Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 

eyes," began Tom. " She's a regular sleepyhead 
— I know it by her looks ! " 

This remark cost three of the sleepers forfeits, 
for the company saw the funny side of it, just as 
the Sandman intended they should — Clementine 
being a very wide-awake girl indeed, with dancing 
black eyes and lips that were always smiling. To 
her it gave an added spirit of mischief. 

Clementine sat stiffly straight, with big, solemn, 
staring eyes. All in vain the contents of the 
Sandman's horn dropped upon forehead and eye- 
lids. The bits of gay-colored tissue fluttered over 
her cheeks and tickled her nose; not a muscle 
stirred. 

Around the sleeping circle very unsleepy eyes 
peeped out cautiously beneath their lashes to see 
the fun. 

"What shall I do with this obstinate child ? " 
muttered the Sandman, whimsically. 

Whereupon he pelted her face and neck with 
showers of tissue until his horn was empty, mean- 
while assaulting her ears with as amusing things 
as he could concoct. If she would not sleep, he 
was determined she should laugh. But she sat 
through it all as unmoved as a little statue. 

" Guess I'll " he began, and then suddenly 



Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 15 

pushed between two chairs, thinking that, if he 
could face her, he might the better effect his object. 

But Clementine was quicker than he, and like a 
flash, her head drooped low upon her breast. 

'' H'm ! " he ejaculated. " Asleep at last ! Hope 
she won't break her neck nodding ! Looks kind 
of white and brittle ! No " — touching his finger 
to her skm — " I guess it will hold! " 

Something about the absurd speech, or the 
manner of its saying, sent the girl off in a whirl 
of laughter, and, as she raised her face, all dimpled 
with fun, she was greeted with shouts and giggles 
and little squeals, even the Watchman joining in 
the mirth. 

" Let's try it again ! " cried Clementine. 



LITTLE BO-PEEP 

At the Mother Goose party given by the young 
Chapins, the game of Little Bo-peep, one of Aunt 
Kuth's creations, added much to the frolic. The 
large grounds, with their clumps of shrubbery, 
rose trellises and low-growing evergreens, were just 
right for a game that needed good hiding-places. 

Minna Clay, being the smallest girl, was Little 
Bo-peep, and she started out with her flock of 



i6 Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 

sheep, to lead them by a winding way to the spot 
designated as the fold. 

Carl Chapin, who was one of the fleetest-footed 
among them, had been chosen to act the part of 
wolf, and Arthur Kamsey and Clementine Hotch- 
kiss, also good runners, had been selected for dogs, 
" Collie " and " Mastiff." 

Almost as soon as the shepherdess and her flock 
set out. Wolf was seen in the distance, wandering 
about with his back to the sheep. According to 
the rules of the game he must not look around, 
and Bo-peep, walking with eyes upon the ground, 
was not supposed to notice him. The sheep, how- 
ever, spied their enemy at once and, showing great 
terror, darted silently, one after the other, to the 
best hiding-place at hand. "When Little Bo-peep 
reached the fold, and looked back for her flock, 
she threw up her hands in dismay, for not a sheep 
was there — all had vanished ! Then she cried 
despairingly : 



' Oh, weep ! oh, weep ! 
Fve lost my sheep ! 

I ought to have gone behind 'em I 
If I leave them to roam, 
TheyUl never come home — 

Oh, somebody help me find 'em ! ^' 



Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 1 7 

In answer to this appeal, Wolf came forward 
and politely offered his aid. 

" Go away, go away, you wicked Wolf ! " ex- 
claimed Little Bo-peep. " All you want is to 
catch and eat my poor sheep ! Off with you ! " 

With a show of meekness, but chuckling to him- 
self. Wolf retreated to a little distance, and then 
hung around, waiting. 

At once the two dogs appeared — " Collie " and 
" Mastiff " — and said they would help Bo-peep to 
find her sheep. So off they went in search of 
them. Wolf following as closely as he dared. 
But he had to keep an eye out for the dogs, for 
whenever he ventured near they would give chase. 

Mastiff found the first sheep. Bertha Chapin, 
crouching behind a big evergreen, and she was 
given into the care of Bo-peep, who led her to the 
fold. 

Then a scream told that Wolf had captured one 
of the flock — Isabel Ramsey by name— and she 
was put in the corner known as the " den." 

Meantime the dogs had discovered two more 
sheep, and given them over to the care of the 
shepherdess, and Wolf grew so bold that he 
snatched the sheep called Harry Grant almost 
from the grasp of Collie. The "dog" gave 



i8 Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 

chase, but he could not rescue the sheep without 
first catching Wolf, and he had to abandon the at- 
tempt. 

The game grew exciting, for Wolf captured 
sheep right and left, until it looked as if he would 
be the winner ; but then the dogs decided to use a 
little stratagem — Collie to hunt for the sheep 
alone, while Mastiff kept Wolf away. But even 
Mastiff's lithe legs found it was no slight task to 
chase Wolf, for he was as shrewd as he was 
nimble, and if she had not been accustomed to 
long runs he would soon have had her winded. 
As it was, although she acted her part bravely and 
well, he succeeded in catching a few more sheep, 
until, when there was only one more to be brought 
in, there were equal numbers in den and fold. 
The missing sheep was Alice Chapin, and who 
could first find her would decide the game. 

Collie searched every apparent hiding-place; 
Wolf hunted, too, as well as he could with Mastiff 
at his heels, but there were so many side races be- 
tween them, first one and then the other in chase, 
that most of his time was spent at a distance from 
the hunting-ground. 

" But they might all three of them as well have 
been in Kamtchatka," declared Collie, " so far as 



Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 19 

finding Alice Chapin was concerned." Finally 
Wolf and his enemies dropped down on the lawn 
to rest, wondering where the missing sheep could 
possibly be. After a while they began calling her 
name, but no answer came. The matter grew 
serious, for the tea hour was at hand. They now 
searched in company, but still in vain. 

The table was set under a great spreading 
cherry tree on the edge of the lawn, next the 
garden, on the opposite side of the house from 
where the game had been played. When the 
young folks were summoned to tea, Alice was still 
missing, and they could talk of little besides her 
mysterious disappearance. 

They were eating nut sandwiches, when Carl — 
otherwise Wolf — suddenly sprang up, crying, 
" I've thought of a place where she may be ! " and 
running off, he vanished in the direction of the 
stables. 

*' Oh, quick, Arthur ! Clementine ! Come up 
and get me ! Catch me before he comes back ! " 

These words, coming down to them in hushed 
eagerness from the tree overhead, turned all eyes 
upward. 

" Where in the world are you ? " cried Clemen- 
tine. 



20 Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 

" Right up here — Vay up ! My sash has 
caught, and I can't get down." 

" I see her ! " and Arthur Ramsey swung him- 
self on to a branch, while the others crowded 
about, peering up among the thick foliage. 

In a minute the lost sheep was free, and was 
scrambling down in company with her rescuer. 

" Didn't you hear us calling ? " queried Bertha. 

" Of course I did ! But Carl was always 
around, and I knew if he spied me he'd be up 
here in no time. I heard you say that whoever 
got me won, and I wasn't going to let the game 
go to a wolf, if I stayed here all night ! " 

Just then Carl appeared, after his fruitless 
search in the carriage-house. 

" Well," he laughed, his eyes twinkling down 
on his small sister, " if that isn't the queerest place 
to find a lamb — in the tiptop of a cherry tree ! " 



EARS FOR EYES 

Aui^T Ruth, Bertha and Alice were on the 
piazza, busy with needlework. Carl and Norton 
were lounging near. 

" Oh, put up your work — do ! I want a game 
of some sort," pleaded Norton. 



Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 2 1 

" This mat never will be done if I don't hurry 
up," replied Alice. 

"Shut your eyes, Norton," said Aunt Ruth, 
" and tell us what you hear." 

" Is it a game ? " 

" I'll leave that for you to say, when we have 
all tried it," laughingly said his aunt. 

" Well," began Norton, as his eyelids went to- 
gether, " I think I hear wheels down the road. 
Yes, they are coming nearer. Shall I open my 
eyes now ? " 

" Wait a minute ! Tell us what the wheels are on." 

" Why, a wagon of some sort. I guess it's a 
grocery team— I don't hear it now." 

" Where has it stopped ? " 

"Down the street somewhere — maybe at the 
Braces'." 

The others laughed. 

" Oh, that's no fair ! I'm going to open my 
eyes — why, I thought it was nearer than that ! 
And it isn't a grocery wagon ! It is Mrs. Parker's 
father, with his double carriage ! " 

" Let me try it ! " cried Bertha. 

But she mistook a furniture van for an ice-cart, 
and there was a call for Aunt Euth to play the 
part of guesser. 



22 Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 

She laid her embroidery in her lap, shut her 
eyes, and listened. 

" Mr. Wilson's horse has just turned the corner 
of Hubbard Street," she presently announced. 

" Why-ee ! How could you tell ? " gasped l!^or- 
ton. 

" I know his step," she replied. 

"I never thought anything about a horse's 
step," said Alice. 

" If you will listen to various horses, you will 
find that their steps differ as much as people's. 
But here comes a doctor's carriage ! " said Aunt 
Euth, her eyes still shut. " I think it must be Dr. 
Post going to see the Higby baby — yes, he has 
stopped there. Am I right ? " 

" Exactly ! " responded Carl. " But how in the 
world do you do it ? " 

" I wasn't sure until he stopped ; but as I heard 
only the horse's hoofs, I knew it must be a rub- 
ber-tired carriage, and I thought at once of Dr. 
Post. He often comes about this time." 

'' I wish I had such ears," said Bertha. 

" You can train your ears, and this is good prac- 
tice." 

" Oh, let me try it ! " begged Carl. " I hear an 
auto down on Hubbard Street ! Now I'm going 



Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 23 

to guess. It must be Mr. Huntington's, because 
Mr. Barry never comes home at this hour." 

u ^Q I » u Wrong ! " chuckled Norton and 
Bertha. 

" Oh, it's that friend of the Shipmans' ! " he 
went on, as the car drew near. 

"No, it's " 

" Don't tell ! " Carl put in. " Why, it is stop- 
ping here ! " His eyes flew open. " Uncle 
Stanley ! " he shouted, jumping up and waving 
his arms. 

" Who wants a ride ? " called out the man in 
goggles. 

" I ! " " I ! " " I ! " was answered from the 
piazza, while Carl said, "We'll play that game 
again, or I'll play it by myself, till I can tell 
Uncle Stanley's auto when I hear it." 



THE QUEEN OF Q'S ^ 

It had come to be expected, in the Chapin 
family, that, whenever a twilight hour found the 
young folks with nothing to do, Aunt Ruth would 
be ready with a new game. 

It was at the close of a rainy Saturday that 



24 Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 

they had put forth their usual request, and their 
aunt sat smilingly thinking. 

" This is really a test of how much of one^s 
knowledge one is able to recall at a moment's 
notice," said Aunt Ruth. " I want you each to 
choose a title, and its initial letter must be the 
initial of all your words, as, ' The Princess of P's,' 
^ The Lord of L's,' and so on." 

" Oh, can I be a king ? " cried Norton. 

" Yes ; the King of K's." 

" I'll be the Princess of P's," said Alice. 

" And I the Monarch of M's," added Carl. 

"Put me down as the Countess of C's," said 
Bertha, for her aunt was scribbling the titles at 
the top of a big sheet of paper. 

" What are you going to be, mamma ? " asked 
Alice. 

" The Queen of Q's," smiled Mrs. Chapin. 

" Now," explained Aunt Ruth, " you will each 
have in turn a chance to tell me all about your- 
selves, and you are to put into your story as many 
words as possible beginning with the letter that 
you have chosen — the initial of your title. Re- 
member, you can talk as long as you please ; but, 
in case you can think of nothing to say, I shall 
not wait for you longer than half a minute." 



Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 25 

" What a funny game ! " laughed Alice. "What 
do you call it, auntie ? " 

" I haven't named it yet, but I think we will 
name it for the one that wins — will that do ? " 

" Oh, yes ! " cried Carl. " ' The Monarch of 
M's ' would be a fine name ! I'm going to think 
of everything I can beginning with M." 

" I'll give you a few minutes to get ready in," 
said Aunt Euth, taking out her watch. " It wants 
three minutes of five. We'll start on the hour." 

The room was silent for the space of three 
minutes. 

" Time's up ! " announced Aunt Euth. " I'll 
begin with Carl." 

"Well," he responded, glibly, "my name is 
Malcolm Maximilian McKinley, and I live in 
Manchester. I married a maiden from Maine, 
named Margaret Macy." 

" 0-oh ! " giggled Alice ; but her brother sped 
on undisturbed. 

" I am a musician, and love music better than 
anything else. I have plenty of money ; folks call 
me a man of millions." 

Carl stopped, and scowled 

" Oh, there's lots more ! " he cried, " but I can't 
think of it ! " 



26 Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 

Aunt Euth's eyes were on her watch. IsTobody 
spoke. 

" Oh, bother ! " broke out Carl. " I like melons 
and mushrooms and milk and muskets and 
monkeys " 

The laughter of the others brought his story to 
a sudden halt. 

"How many monkeys do you eat a day?" 
chuckled JSTorton. 

" Well I can't help it," retorted Carl. " I had 
them all shipshape, and then they got mixed up ; 
but I'm going to get them in, anyway. Now you 
keep still ! 1 am fond of mustard, and mignonette 
is my favorite flower, and I'm merry and manly 
and own a magnificent mansion, and I'm master 
of mathematics, and— and — I guess that's all I 
can muster." 

" That is very good, Carl," complimented Aunt 
Kuth. " Now, Alice, see if you can do as well." 

" Oh, I haven't thought of half so many things ! " 
sighed Alice. " My name is Pauline Peabody, and 
I live in a palace. I have been to Paris and 
Poland. I like potatoes, and — dear me, I can't 
remember ! Oh, I like porridge and peas and 
pumpkin pies! I have a pet parrot that says, 
' Pretty Poll.' Once I gave a party. My favorite 



Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 27 

flowers are peonies and pansies and poppies. I 
can't think of anything more." 

" Very good indeed," was her aunt's comment. 
" You are doing much better than I anticipated. 
Now, Norton." 

" I haven't many," began Norton, " because I 
thought at first it must be all true." 

"My story wasn't exactly truth," chuckled 
Carl, " especially the marrying and the money 
parts." 

" In games like this," laughed Aunt Ruth, " we 
have to draw on our imagination. Go on, Nor- 
ton." 

" My name is Kenneth Kingsley, and my home 
is in Kentucky. I have read Kipling's 'Jungle 
Book,' and I like to fly kites and kick a ball. I 
wear knickerbockers, and my sister Kate knits. 
Oh, yes, I almost forgot the best of all ! For pets 
I have a kennel of kangaroos." 

'' 0-oh, that wouldn't be bad ! " cried Carl. 
" Do hurry up and get them here, Norton ! I want 
to see them jump ! " 

The Countess of C's related that her name was 
Christine Caroline Curtis ; that she lived in Corn- 
wall, Conn. ; that she had journeyed in China and 
Chili, and there she came to a sudden pause. 



28 Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 

" Oh, dear me ! " she fretted, " I can't think ! I 
can't think ! I had ever so much more, and it's 
all gone!" 

She sat, distressed, vainly striving to recall the 
forgotten words. 

Just as Aunt Ruth was about to declare the end 
of the half minute of grace, she broke out, joy- 
ously : 

" Oh, now I know ! I am fond of custard, 
crackers, cauliflower, cabbage and chocolate 
candy ! " 

There was an air of added interest as Mrs. Chapin 
began her story. 

" I was born in Quebec, and was christened for 
my great-grandmother, Quentina Quinn. When 
I was fifteen I went, with my twin brother, 
Quentin, to live with my married sister, Quilla, 
whose home was in Quincy, 111., where, later, we 
were joined by our parents and two younger 
brothers, Quillota and Quackenbos. The Quin- 
tards are called a queer, quixotic family, partly, 
perhaps, because we are so full of quizzes aud 
quotations; but nobody has ever questioned our 
truthfulness, for we were above quirks and quibbles. 
Our quaint ways are probably inherited from 
our Quaker ancestors. I never had but one illness 



Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 29 

in my life, when I was attacked by quinsy, and the 
disease was quickly quelled by quinine. Once, 
when I was visiting my Uncle Quintilian, in New 
Hampshire, where he has a fine quarry, I was out 
of pocket money ; so I rambled over Moose Moun- 
tain in quiet quests for quartz, only laughing when 
people queried as to my daily wanderings. I 
obtained a quart of crystals, which I sold for a 
quarter. My favorite book is Don Quixote, and 
my best-liked dishes, quail and quince sauce. For 
pastime I play quoits and quilt bed-covers. My 
one extravagance is the using of quantities of paper 
of the finest quality. A quire a day and a good 
quill pen are enough to make me happy." 

" My ! '' gasped Alice, " I never knew Q had so 
many words ! '' 

Aunt Euth ran over her lists, and presently 
announced, smilingly : 

" Won by the Queen of Q's ! " 



HUNGRY BEGGARS 

"I NOTED down a new game for you last 
night," said Aunt Kuth. " Do you want to try 
it?" 

" Don't we ! " chorused the four. 



3o Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 

" Aren't we always more than ready for one of 
your games ? " cried Carl. 

" I have called it hungry beggars," Aunt Euth 
began. 

" That sounds interesting," put in Bertha, " if 
people are only generous." 

" I will begin," her aunt went on, " by begging 
a letter from my right-hand neighbor, and you 
will soon see how it goes. We will take an easy 
word first. Carl, I have a bead that I want to 
change into something to eat. If you will give 
me the right letter I can do it." 

" Oh, an r will make it into bread ! " 

"Thank you. That is the letter I need, and 
giving me one entitles you to beg a letter of your 
right-hand neighbor. Think of some article of 
food that with the omission of a letter will make 
a different word. You will soon catch on, and 
the words will come flying to you." 

" Why can't we use the anagram letters ? " asked 
Alice. " We could make them easily with them." 

" You can, if you like, though it is better prac- 
tice this way." 

Norton ran for the letters, while Carl, who was 
always overeager to begin, said to Bertha : 

" Oh, lady, I'm awful hungry ! Will you please 



Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 31 

give me a letter that will change my mare into 
something to eat ? " 

"Dear me, Mr. Beggar, I'd like to,'* said 
Bertha, laughing, " but I'm afraid I can't. What 
can it be ? " 

Norton came back with the box of letters, and 
began picking out m-a-r-e. Before Bertha had 
gained anything from her mental shifting, he 
cried out, gleefully, " Oh, I know ! " clapping a 
hand over his letters that the rest might not see. 

" All right," returned his sister, good-naturedly, 
" let's have it." 

" No, no. I'll wait," he answered. 

But Bertha declared that she could never guess 
it, and begged him to tell. 

" Don't you want a c ? " Norton asked Carl. 

"Sure!" 

"Then you can make cream," said Norton. 
" Oh, this is fun ! " 

Bertha's turn passed to Norton, because she had 
not given the letter. 

" Why, I don't know what to beg for ! " he ex- 
claimed. " I haven't anything thought up ! " 

Everybody laughed, and finally, as he could 
not avail himself of the turn he had won, it passed 
to Alice, who sat on Bertha's right hand. 



32 Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 

She addressed her mother : 

" Please will you give me a letter that will turn 
my rags into something nice to eat ? " 

Even Aunt Kuth scowled for a minute over this 
word. Then her face brightened. But Mrs. 
Chapin shook her head. 

" I shall have to get used to this," she said. 

She could not guess it, and turned to Norton, 
who was busy with his letters. 

" Oh, I can't ! " he cried. " I'm trying to get a 
word for myself, so I won't lose another turn." 

So Aunt Kuth had to give it. " Will a u do, to 
make sugar ? " she said, smiling. 

" Of course it will," said Alice. 

It was Aunt Ruth's turn again. 

" I have some prints," she said, " that I can 
turn into some vegetables, if you will only give 
me a letter to put with them." 

"Prints into vegetables," mused Carl. "Po- 
tatoes, carrots, pumpkins, radishes, parsnips, tur- 
nips — oh, you want a u to make some turnips ? " 

" That is just what I want," Aunt Euth replied. 

"Well, kind lady," and Carl turned to Bertha, 
" will you please give me a letter that will change 
some warts and briers that I have no use for into 
delicious fruit ? " 



Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 33 

" Warts and briers ! " echoed Bertha, looking 
puzzled. " Is the fruit just one word ? " 

'^ Only one— and it's what you especially like," 
he added. 

She thought a minute. " Oh, I know ! " she 
cried. " I'll give you an e, and you can make 
strawberries ! " 

As Norton had missed again, his turn passed to 
Aunt Kuth. She begged a letter that should con- 
vert her groans into fine fruit. 

" It's the first time you ever had any groans, I 
guess," said Carl, laughing, " and I don't wonder 
you want to get rid of them. But I'm afraid I 
can't help you." 

" There's papa ! " cried Alice, running to open 
the door. She took a big paper bag from his 
hands. " What have you got ? " she queried and 
peeped in. " Oh, oranges ! " 

Carl's scowl vanished. " I think," he said to 
Aunt Euth, " that what you need is an e." 

She gave him a smiling nod. 

" But what's the word ? " 

** Oranges ! " shouted Norton, joyfully. 



34 Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 



AUNT RUTH^S ''THINKING" GAME 

"I WISH Aunt Kuth would hurry and finish 
her letter," cried Alice. " It is so lonesome with 
mamma and Bertha away ; we can't play much 
with just three of us." 

'^ Jackstraws," suggested Norton. 

" Oh, no ! " put in Carl. " Let's wait for 
auntie. I like her games best; they make you 
think." 

" Here she is ! " announced Alice. " We are 
ready for a play, Aunt Euth. Carl wants a think- 
ing game." 

" A thinking game ? " mused the young lady. 
" All right ! I have thought of a word that con- 
tains three e's — can you guess what it is ? If 
anybody can, the word is his — oh, I forgot, we 
must each have a pencil and paper ! Yes, that 
will do nicely," as Carl brought them. "If no 
one guesses it, I retain the word, unless a shorter 
one is thought of — three e's now ; see what you 
can make ! " 

" Settee ? " suggested Carl. 

" No ; but yours is better. Mine is refugee. 
Can anybody think of one shorter than settee ? " 



Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 35 

Nobody did ; so settee went down on CarPs 
paper. 

" Now, Carl, it is your turn." 

" I have a word with three k's." 

No guess was made until Aunt Ruth ventured, 
" Habakkuk." 

" Oh," groaned Carl, '' why couldn't I have 
thought of that ? Mine is only knickerbocker ! " 

They laughed, as Aunt Ruth headed her 
paper with the shorter word ; her next had 
four s's. 

Norton guessed assassinate, Alice crossness, and 
Carl assess. The word was possess, so Carl won 
again. 

" A word with three g's," Carl gave out. 

" Flogging," guessed Norton. 

" Logging," said Alice. 

Rigging was the word, and Aunt Ruth decided 
that as logging was no better word Carl should 
keep his own. 

" Four i's," announced Carl. 

" Mississippi ? " asked Alice. 

" Of course," answered her brother. " I knew 
somebody 'd guess that." 

Alice wrote the word, and then gave out one 
with five s's. 



36 Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 

" Whew ! " cried Norton. " What can have so 
many in it ? " 

" Is it sinlessness ? " Aunt Kuth asked. 

" Oh, auntie, what made you ! " Carl exclaimed. 
"I thought I had something that even you 
couldn't beat, and now you have ! Mine is list- 
lessness." 

Bedtime came too soon for the players; but 
Aunt Ruth said that words could wait, but that 
the sandman had better be humored. 

" There isn't any sand in my eyes," laughed 
Alice. " But there is in Norton's. I believe he's 
been having cat-naps for the last ten minutes." 

"I don't care," Norton said good-naturedly. 
" I am sleepy." 

With good-night kisses, the trio raced up- 
stairs. 

"We'll have another game to-morrow night, 
Aunt Ruth," called back Alice, " and then I'm 
going to beat ! " 



THUMB-TOSS 

The Chapins had just had a telephone installed, 
and Carl came running up the cellar stairs with 
a long stretch of wire in his hand. 



Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 37 

" See what the man left ! " he cried. " And 
there's ever so much more down there ! I found 
this in the coal bin." 

" It isn't good for anything," responded Bertha. 

" I have an idea," smiled Aunt Kuth. " Please 
bring up all you can find, and I'll see what I can 
do with it." 

In the hour after tea Aunt Kuth brought forth 
a number of small rings, all wound with narrow 
ribbon of various colors. 

" How pretty ! " exclaimed Bertha. " I wouldn't 
have believed anything like these could have been 
made out of that old telephone wire." 

" Are they for a game ? " asked Alice. 

For answer Aunt Kuth bade her clasp her 
hands together and hold up her thumbs. 

Excitedly the children watched their aunt's at- 
tempts to toss a ring from her own thumbs to 
those of Alice, and squeals of laughter greeted 
the fall of each. 

"I shall have to stand nearer until I learn 
how," Aunt Kuth said finally, as the dozenth 
ring went whirling across the room. 

The shortened space betweer the two pairs of 
thumbs made things much easier, and presently 
Alice held several rings. 



38 Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 

" I want to try it ! " cried Carl. " Here, Nor- 
ton, hold up your thumbs, please ! " 

Carl's tossing proved more successful than that 
of his aunt, and soon everybody was playing, Mr. 
and Mrs. Chapin joining in the merry sport. 



WHO LIKES ME BEST ? 

When Alice had her birthday party, Aunt Euth 
gave her several new games. One of them was 
"Who Likes Me Best?" 

The children formed a circle, hand in hand, 
boys and girls alternating with each other. Carl 
stood in the centre, and was blindfolded. 

When the rest had decided, by pantomime, 
which girl should answer his question, Carl sang : 

^^ Who likes me best? Who likes me best? 
Tell me the truth or tell me in jest ; 
And quickly I'll come to you straight as I can, 
But don't expect much of a blindfolded man." 

Then round and round the children went, sing- 
ing in answer : 

^' Who likes you best ? Who likes you best ? 
ril tell you the truth or I'll tell you in jest ; 
Come quickly and claim me, led by my voice, 
And take me, I pray you, to be your choice ! '' 



Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 39 

As soon as they stopped, Carl called out : 

" Who likes me best ? " 

" I," faintly responded some one at his left. 

He started in the direction of the voice, but in- 
stead of touching the girl, he put his hand upon a 
boy, who stood next. Because he had failed, he 
was obliged to try it again ; so at once he returned 
to his place and began to sing. 

Twice Carl missed the right girl — his Cousin 
Faith ; but the third time he succeeded in reach- 
ing her, and then she was blindfolded. By pan- 
tomime a boy was chosen to answer her question, 
and she sang : 

'^ Who likes me best? Who likes me best? 
Tell me the truth or tell me in jest ; 
And then, if I can, to your side I will whirl, 
But don't expect much of a blindfolded girl." 

This was answered as before, and merrily the 
play went on. 



A RAINY-SUNDAY GAME 

The children had been to church and Sunday- 
school ; now dinner was over, papa was reading, 
mamma was lying down — and it rained. The four 



40 Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 

longed for Aunt Kuth, who had gone away on a 
visit. 

"Alice," came mamma's soft voice from her 
room. 

Alice went, soon returning with a folded paper 
in her hand. Her eyes were shining. 

" A game ! " she cried, " a Bible game that Aunt 
Euth left for us, to be tried on the first rainy Sun- 
day ! Mamma came near forgetting it." 

Bertha, Norton and Carl pressed near, while 
Alice read : 

" One thinks of a Bible verse, and gives one 
word that is in it. Anybody may guess this verse, 
or give any other that has the specified word in it 
— the more verses the better. When all the verses 
that can be thought of with the given word in 
have been recited, somebody thinks of another 
verse, and gives one of its words, and so on. The 
one who can remember the largest number of 
verses wins the game." 

" Oh, let's begin ! " cried Carl. " It is nice of 
Aunt Ruth to remember us." 

"Aunt Euth wouldn't be Aunt Euth if she 
wasn't nice," Norton said. " I wish she wouldn't 
ever go visiting." 

" We ought to be willing to share her, and this 



Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 41 

is next best to her being here. I'm going to think 
of a verse," and Alice shut her eyes. " I have 
one," she suddenly exclaimed. "The word is 
good,'^^ 

They were silent for a moment, and then Carl 
repeated, " The Lord is good, a stronghold in the 
day of trouble ; and He knoweth them that trust 
in Him." 

Bertha followed with, " God giveth to a man 
that is good in His sight wisdom and knowledge 
and joy." 

" Neither of those is the one I have in mind," 
said Alice ; " but I can think of still another : If 
ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts 
unto your children, how much more shall your 
heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that 
ask Him ! " 

" Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil 
with good. There, I did think of one ! " Norton 
sighed with satisfaction. 

"Beloved, follow not that which is evil, but 
that which is good," repeated Bertha. 

There was a long pause after this ; then Alice 
spoke : 

" Nobody has thought of my verse yet." 

" In the world ye shall have tribulation : but be 



42 Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 

of good cheer ; I have overcome the world," was 
given by Carl. 

" That's the one ! " cried Alice. " Now it's your 
turn." 

" My word is sang^^^ said Carl. 

" I don't seem to remember any with that in," 
returned Alice. 

"There's something about the morning stars 
sang together," said Bertha ; " but I can't tell the 
rest of it. Is that the one ? " 

Carl nodded. " When the morning stars sang 
together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy," 
he finished. 

As nobody could think of another with " sang " 
in, Carl gave love^ and the verses came fast, until 
Mr. and Mrs. Chapin joined in the game. 

Peace, joy, trust, heart and courage were then 
given in turn, and there was no lack of verses. 

" Wish I could remember as many as papa and 
mamma can," sighed ISTorton. 

" You'll have them at your tongue's end, if you 
play this often," answered mamma. 



Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 43 



AIR, EARTH, AND WATER— A PARTY 
GAME 

The first twilight after Aunt Kuth's return from 
Cambridge found her four nieces and nephews ply- 
ing her with questions. 

" I want to know about Dorothy," said Alice. 

'' Has she grown taller than I ? I haven't seen 
her in nearly two years." 

" I think she is about your height. She gave a 
party while I was there." 

" Did you contribute a dozen games ? " asked 
Carl. 

" They played one that you will like," his aunt 
laughed. 

" Oh, what ? Can we have it now ? " begged 
Norton. 

" Yes, we can try it, though it is really better 
with more players. It is a lively game, and you 
have to keep on the alert. If you will fetch me 
one of those Little bean-bags, Carl, I will tell 
you about it. 

" A letter is first chosen — we will take C, be- 
cause our name is Chapin, and it mixes things up 
too much to have a separate letter for each person. 



\ 



44 Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 

Now each of you think of a bird, a beast, and a 
fish whose name begins with C, and you are to 
give them as I throw this bag, and call for air, 
earth, or water. The one to whom I toss the bag 
must respond with something that flies in the 
air or swims in the water or lives on the earth, 
before I count ten." 

Bertha received the bag in her lap, while Aunt 
Euth said, "Air, one— two — three — four — five — 
six " 

" Canary-bird ! " cried Bertha. 

" That is good," and Aunt Euth looked straight 
at Norton, as if he were to have the bag next. 
Then she suddenly threw it to Carl, calling, 
" Earth, one — two — three — four — five — six — seven 
— eight — nine " 

" Cow ! cow I " shouted Carl, frantically, while 
the others burst into merry laughter. 

" One thing I forgot," said Aunt Euth ; " the 
same name cannot be used twice — unless the names 
give out." She addressed this to Alice, and then 
tossed the bag again to Bertha. 

" Water, one — two — three — four — five " 

" Codfish," said Bertha. 

Norton had the bag next, and managed to get 
out, " Cat ! " before ten was reached. 



Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 45 

Alice responded to " air " with '^ cuckoo," and 
Carl to " earth " with " chimpanzee." 

Then the ringing of the front door-bell sent Carl 
to answer it, and he returned with the Oakdale 
cousins, who had come to greet Aunt Ruth. Of 
course they wanted to play, too, and the young 
auntie was soon surrounded by a laughing, chat- 
tering circle of girls and boys. 

The newcomers added much to the interest of 
the game, and they thought it great fun. 

"Let's not tell anybody else about it," said 
Faith ; " but keep it for my birthday party next 
month." 

And everybody else said, " All right ! " 



LANDMARKS— A ROAD GAME 

The Chapins were returning from a three days' 
visit to Uncle Leonard's, twenty-six miles from 
home. They were journeying in their own car- 
riage, and three miles back Old Whitey had gone 
lame. Dick, the other horse, did the best he 
could, but they were obliged to jog along in a very 
tedious fashion. Mamma had a headache, and 
leaned back with her eyes shut, looking tired and 
pale. 



46 Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 

" Oh, dear," sighed Bertha, " we never shall get 
home ! " 

" It's hotter than an oven ! " growled Norton. 

" If I had a parasol, I'd get out and walk — 
'twould be better than this," grumbled Alice. 

"Have patience, children. Only six miles 
further ! " and Mr. Chapin glanced over his shoul- 
der at his wife. 

" Let's play a game," proposed Aunt Kuth. " I 
tried it the other night, all by myself, when your 
father and I were driving home from Green- 
field." 

" I don't see how we can play anything here," 
said Bertha. " What can it be ? " 

"All shut your eyes," replied Aunt Kuth, 
" and when I say ' Now ! ' each one is to guess 
where we are." 

" That's easy enough," laughed Norton. 

" I don't know," responded Carl. " Seems to 
me 'twill be hard." 

" All ready ? " asked their aunt. " Mind, now, 
we mustn't open our eyes a wink till everybody's 
guessed." 

Silence fell on the party, broken only by Nor- 
ton's " Please hurry up and say when, or I shall 
go to sleep ! " 



Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 47 

" You must keep thinking where we are," urged 
Carl. 

" Now ! " was the announcement. " Bertha, you 
may guess first." 

" Almost to the bridge." 

" Norton next." 

" By the old sawmill. Why, I declare, we've 
gone 'way past it ! " 

"Now, Norton, you went and looked before 
Carl and I'd had a chance ! " cried Alice. 

" Oh, I forgot ! Well, let's try it again, and I'll 
play fair, true ! It's better'n I thought." 

Another silence, and then the four guesses were 
taken: 

"At Mr. Grant's." 

" Along by Aunt Dixey's.' 

" At the egg-tree house." (This was named by 
the Chapin children from a little tree that stood 
out in the front yard, with egg-shells tied on its 
branches for ornament.) 

"By the Dunbar Eoad." 

"Just this side of the gorge." 

" Oh, Aunt Euth is right ! " cried Alice. " I 
didn't suppose we were so far along." 

"Let's try it again," urged Bertha. "It's, 
fun ! " 



48 Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 

Over and over the guessing went on, while the 
tired mother rested because the children were con- 
tented and happy, until at last the home orchards 
were reached without being thought of by any- 
body. 

" That's good sport," said Norton, as he jumped 
out. " What do you call it ? " 

"How will Zcmdmarks do?" suggested Aunt 
Kuth. 



OUT OF PLACE 

Carl shut his grammar with a yawn of relief. 
" Let's have a game before supper," he proposed. 

" Oh, yes, that new one ! " chimed in Bertha. 
" Out of Place, did you call it. Aunt Kuth ?" 

" For lack of a better name," her aunt assented. 

" May I be it this time ? " begged Alice. 

" If you'll promise not to make it too hard," 
said Norton. 

" If you'll agree not to make it too easy," said 
Carl, laughing. "Don't put the tongs on the 
table ! " 

" You come, too. Aunt Kuth and mamma ! " 
called Bertha, as she ran into the hall, and Alice 
was left alone. 



Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 49 

She looked round the library, to see what article 
she could put out of place and have it least ob- 
servable, for that was the secret. 

" The very thing ! " she thought, as her eye fell 
upon Bertha's golf cape, and she chuckled to her- 
self. 

Back into the room they flocked, and at once 
began a search for the misplaced object. 

" Is it in plain sight ? " asked Norton. 

" Enough of it," answered Alice. 

" Oh, not all ! " cried Bertha. " That gives a 
clue." 

But it did not seem to be of use, for round and 
round the room walked the five, yet no out-of- 
place article could be discovered. 

" Is it little or big ? " queried Norton. 

" Is that a fair question, Aunt Euth ? " appealed 
Alice. 

" We all seem to need more light," replied Aunt 
Ruth. 

" Well, then," answered Alice, " 1 should call it 
pretty big. When it was new it was larger than 
its owner wanted." 

'' What in the world can it be ? " mused Carl. 

" And where ? " scowled Norton, pacing up and 
down in front of the bookcase. 



50 Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 

"There!" cried Bertha, suddenly. "I told 
Clementine Hotchkiss that the next time we 
played this I would ask her over. She thought it 
must be fun. Say, you wait for me — don't try to 
find it ! — and I'll run in and get her. Where's 
my golf cape ? I thought I left it right here on 
the couch. I'm sure I didn't carry it up-stairs. 
Do you know where it is, Alice ? " 

" I'll get you my jacket," she answered, eva- 
sively. 

" Oh, I have a big guess that's what she has 
hidden ! " cried Carl. " Yes, it is ! I know by 
the looks of her face. Come on and let's find it ! 
Clementine can wait for the next game. A golf 
cape can't be in the match-box." 

Eagerly the searchers peered into every corner 
for the missing cape, and although Alice had as- 
sured them that it was in sight, cushions were 
overturned, newspapers peeped under, and even 
the couch-cover lifted. 

" Because she acknowledged it was only partly 
in view," apologized Norton. 

" I wonder if she can have stuffed it in back of 
the books ? " thought Bertha, and then a familiar 
shade of blue caught her eye. She stepped nearer 
the bookcase, and there, neatly wedged between 



Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 51 

the volumes, and folded so as to closely resemble 
a book, was the missing garment. 

With a glad cry Bertha drew it forth. 

"That was a bright thought," praised Carl, 
with a smiling nod toward his sister. 



WOLF IN THE PASTURE 

The Chapin children had come home from 
school, and were playing " tag " in a neighbor's 
yard, when Aunt Ruth passed. 

" Oh, Aunt Ruth ! " called Carl, " do you know 
a good game we can play — something lively ? " 

The lady came back to the gate, and stood 
thinking. 

" I know you have a lovely one in your head," 
laughed Bertha. " I know it by your looks." 

Aunt Ruth smiled. " How many are there of 
you ? " she asked. " ' Wolf in the Pasture ' is 
lively, and it is great fun if there are enough to 
play ; but five — oh, here's another ! " as Thomas 
Hunter came running round the corner of the 
house. 

" If that's all, I can bring a dozen in two min- 
utes ! " and off started Carl across the street. He 
returned with seven laughing girls and boys. 



52 Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 

" That is better," Aunt Ruth said. " Now, first 
decide on a place for the sheepf old ; that sum- 
mer-house over there will be just the thing. Here 
is the pasture, and half of you must be sheep and 
half lambs ; that is, after the wolf is chosen. 
Whom will you have ? " 

" You be it, Carl ! " 

" All right ! Ill eat you all up ! " 

" You'll have to catch them first," Aunt Euth 
laughed. " That isn't always so easy. Now run 
away, wolf, quite out of hearing, till the others 
have decided which shall be sheep and which 
lambs, for you must not know." 

At call the " wolf " came skipping back, and 
Aunt Ruth went on with her explanation. 

" The flock will be huddled together here," she 
said, " and you are to come and stand a few feet 
away, and repeat one of these rhymes, whichever 
you choose, not moving hand or foot, remember, 
till the last word is out : 



'' ^Here I come,— -creep, creep, creep ! 
I'm going to catch me a good, fat sheep ! 

'^ ' Here I am ! Here I am ! 

I want a nice little tender lamb ! ' 



Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 53 

As soon as the flock is familiar with the rhymes 
it will know which the wolf is after, sheep or 
lambs, as soon as he begins, and those in danger 
of being caught will scamper off to the safety of 
the fold, and will get a good start before the lines 
are finished. Now try it once before I go." 

'^ ' Here I am ! Here I am ! 

I want a nice little tender lamb ! ' ^' 

chanted Carl, darting after the speeding lambs as 
soon as the last word was off his lips. 

Every one was safe in the sheepfold, however, 
before he reached them, and they returned to- 
gether, wolf and lambs, breathless and merry. 

" Because you failed to catch any," said Aunt 
Kuth, " you will have to give up being wolf, and 
let somebody else try." 

Thomas Hunter was chosen, and he, being a 
swift runner, succeeded in capturing a sheep, 
otherwise Bertha Chapin. 

" What shall I do with her ? " he asked, as he 
brought her back, holding fast to her arm. 

"She is set aside as your booty till you fail; 
then she goes into the flock again. The wolf that 
catches the largest number of sheep or lambs wins 



54 Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 

the game. Eemember that it makes it a little 
harder for the wolf if the flock is divided anew 
for every race ; otherwise he will keep his eye on 
the poorest runners, and be more likely to catch 
them." 



CUCUMBERS 

Lights had not yet been brought in, and the 
open fire threw enchanting shadows all about the 
room. 

" Have we ever played Cucumbers ? " asked 
Aunt Kuth. 

A chorus of " No's '' answered her, while Carl 
and Bertha stopped their chat, and drew their 
chairs nearer the fire. 

Aunt Ruth then went around the group, whis- 
pering something in the ear of each. 

" Oh, is mamma going to play ? " queried Alice. 

" Certainly," Aunt Ruth replied. "And," she 
went on, " you must remember that you are not to 
say one word except what I have told you ; you 
must answer all my questions, and don't laugh 
if you can help it ! But I shall make you laugh 
if I can. All who laugh have to pay forfeits." 

" I sha'n't laugh," declared Norton. 



Playtime Games for Boys and Girls §§ 

"All right then," said his aunt; "I'll be- 
gin with you. What do you eat for break- 
fast?" 

" Cucumbers," he answered. 

Some of the rest giggled, but his face was 
sober. 

" What did you have for dinner ? " 

" Cucumbers." 

" What do you expect to have for supper ? " 

" Cucumbers." 

" Seems to me I shouldn't want cucumbers for 
a steady diet. What prize are you trying for at 
school?" 

" Cucumbers." 

"What do you say to the minister when he 
comes for a visit ? " 

" Cu— te-he ! he ! he ! '^ 

" Ah, a forfeit, sir ! " 

Norton handed her his watch fob with the re- 
mark : " The thought of cucumbers in connection 
with dignified Dr. Wright was too much ; I had 
to explode ! " 

" Now, Little Mamma, let's see how soon I can 
make you laugh ! What are you going to get the 
children for birthday presents ? " 

" A yoke of oxen." 



56 Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 

" Oh ! oh ! " shrieked the young folks, but their 
mother's face was entirely grave. 

" What are you going to take with you on your 
trip to New York ? " 

" A yoke of oxen." 

" What were you talking about with the doctor 
yesterday ? " 

" A yoke of oxen." 

The children were in uncontrollable laughter ; 
but their mother still kept a solemn face. 

The announcement of supper suspended the 
game, though the young folks gave it up reluc- 
tantly. " It is the very funniest we have had," 
said Bertha. 



PARTY PANTOMIMES 

The Chapin children gave a party for their 
cousin, Juanita, who was visiting them, and noth- 
ing was quite so well enjoyed as the pantomimes 
arranged by Aunt Kuth. 

The guests were seated around the big drawing- 
room, every one being provided with a sheet of 
pretty note-paper and a pencil. Each sheet had 
twenty numbers upon it, running from top to 
bottom, and the girls and boys were asked to 



Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 57 

write opposite, beginning with the first, what he 
thought each pantomimist was doing. 

A sheet had been arranged to be easily raised 
and lowered over the wide archway leading into 
the library, and just beyond appeared the young 
actors, one after another — Bertha, Alice, Carl and 
Norton. 

The curtain rose first on Alice, who was seated 
in a low chair, holding — to judge from the posi- 
tion of her arms — a baby. She patted, she 
squeezed, she cuddled and kissed the invisible 
little creature ; she dangled imaginary playthings 
before the imaginary eyes ; she trotted it up and 
down on her knee, and chucked it under the chin. 
The curtain fell on her playing pat-a-cake with 
the little invisible hands. 

Next came Carl, and he was surely cutting the 
grass. The steady tramp, back and forth, hands 
in position, was so perfect that you could almost 
hear the click of the lawn-mower. 

Norton was a newsboy, and the pantomimic 
calling of his papers, as well as his sales to im- 
aginary customers, was very realistic. 

At first nobody could decide what Bertha was 
doing ; but after a little while several discovered 
that she was treating some friends to tea. Her 



58 Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 

acting was really very good. She would pour a 
cupful, pass it to an unseen person, and then 
follow it with cream and sugar. Afterwards she 
poured a cup for herself. 

Alice painted a picture, sewed, washed dishes, 
and deftly caught a bird. Carl played the violin, 
split wood, took a photograph, and cobbled shoes. 
Norton called up some one by telephone, wound 
his watch, ate dinner, and put out a fire. Bertha 
fitted a dress, made bread, hung out a washing, 
and rocked a baby to sleep. 

Aunt Ruth gave prizes to the girl and boy who 
made most correct lists of the pantomimes. JSTo- 
body guessed quite all of them ; but none had less 
than ten, which was thought to be a pretty good 
showing. 



TWO RAINY-DAY GAMES 

" Can you come over and play up in our gar- 
ret ? '' 

That was what Bertha telephoned, one rainy 
Saturday morning, to Isabel Eamsey and her 
brother. 

The guests soon appeared, in dripping coats, 
and the four Chapins greeted them gleefully. 



Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 59 

"Aunt Kuth has given us two new games," 
Carl began, "and we want you to help us try 
them." 

" I know they're good, if your Aunt Kuth has 
had anything to do with them ! " laughed Arthur 
Kamsey, as they skipped up the stairs. 

" They make you think of hopscotch," put in 
Alice. 

"But they're not like that," added Bertha. 

" Oh, no ! " chorused the other Chapins, " not 
really ! " 



Hop and Hold 

It was a great garret, extending over the main 
part of the house, and gave plenty of room for 
romping. 

Carl drew a piece of chalk from his pocket, and 
traced two long, parallel lines on the floor, about 
three feet apart ; then he connected them with six 
cross lines, after the manner of a ladder. 

" Why, that does look like hopscotch — almost! " 
ventured Isabel Kamsey. 

" You wait ! " chuckled Alice. 

Carl was drawing a line down the middle of the 
figure, making ten squares in all, which he marked, 



6o Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 

" 1, 2, 3, 4, 5," up one side, and " 6, 7, 8, 9, 10," 
down the other. 

" ISTow we're all ready," he said, producing a 
flattish bit of stone that he placed on the back of 



6 


5 


7 


4 


8 


3 


9 


2 


lO 


I 



his hand. " The game is to hop through all those 
ten squares, in rotation, without touching a line, 
and keep this on your hand. Shall I try it first, 
or does somebody else want to ? " 
^* Oh, you ! " they cried. 



Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 6i 

" I'd like a chance to laugh at you before that 
goes rolling off my hand — I know it will ! " giggled 
Isabel. 

The laugh came when Carl turned the corner 
for the hop back, and he picked up the stone, 
handing it to Arthur. 

Arthur went a little further ; then, to keep his 
balance, he involuntarily threw out his right hand, 
when away rolled the stone. 

The others tried the long hop in turn, Norton 
Chapin being the first to hop through the ten 
squares and out with the stone still in position. 

" But you don't win," explained Carl, " until you 
can go through carrying it on the back of your 
left hand, and then hop on your left foot, with the 
stone first on your right hand and then on your 
left." 

" Whew, if that isn't a big stunt ! " cried Arthur. 
" But it's fun ! " 

It was fun, to judge from the squeals and 
shouts and laughter that rang through the old 
garret. 

" What do you call it ? " asked Isabel. 

" Carl has suggested * Hop and Hold,' " replied 
Bertha ; '' that's the best name anybody's thought 
of." 



62 Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 

"Well, what's the other?" queried Arthur. 
" You said there were two." 

" Yes, let's try the other one ! " cried Alice, 
whose stone went rolling away to the eaves as she 
came near toppling over. 

Come ai^d Get Me 
" I think the other game will be harder in some 
ways than this. Aunt Ruth calls it ' Come and 
Get Me P '' 




" That sounds interesting," put in Isabel. 

" I think it will be. Carl, you draw the circles, 
please; I can't, and I'll find the things to pick up." 

^' Say, let's try it with marbles ! " proposed 
Norton, pulling the needed number from his pocket. 

The rest were watching Carl, who was making 
a small circle on the floor. Around it about a foot 



Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 63 

away, he drew another and then a third. Exactly 
in the middle of the inner circle he placed a 
marble, four in the next space, at right angles with 
the centre, and four in the outer circle, at equal 
distances from the others. 

'' Those aren't very good circles," he apologized, 
regarding his work with a scowl. 

" I don't believe any of the rest of us could im- 
prove on them," laughed Isabel. 

" Well, it doesn't matter for the game," Carl 
replied. " Suppose you try it first. Hop into the 
first circle, pick up a marble, and hop out again, 
and, of course, you mustn't touch a line. Get the 
marbles in the outside ring first. Then try the 
second. 

*^ That will be harder, because you have to hop 
right over the first. When you have those four, 
the last is hardest of all, for you've got to hop 
over all three lines at once." 

" Oh, my ! " gasped Isabel. " I never can ! " 

" Try," Carl urged. 

The first two hops went all right, but the third 
marble rolled away at her touch, and she only got 
a fall for her endeavor to reach it. 

Arthur followed his sister with better success, 
but failed on first trial to obtain the last marble. 



64 Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 

This game proved more interesting than the 
other. Carl was the first to fetch out the ninth 
marble, and then he began his left-foot hopping, 
for the winner must be equally at home on both 
feet. 

Arthur Eamsey led in this, being, as he declared, 
left-footed. Carl was a close second, and Alice 
beat her brother, Norton, and the other girls, but 
all succeeded in twice picking up the nine marbles, 
according to the rules of the game, before the sun 
shone. 



MAGIC— AN OLD GAME WITH A NEW 
NAME 

When Bertha gave a birthday party, one game 
was played that greatly amused and mystified the 
children. Aunt Euth called it '' Magic," and al- 
though she said it was an old game which she had 
played when she was a little girl, none of the 
guests knew anything about it. 

Aunt Euth went out of the room, telling the 
others to select something in plain sight. As soon 
as they had decided what it should be, they were 
to call her back. 



Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 65 

When she came, Carl Chapin asked her ques- 
tions. 

" Is it the rug ? " he began. 

Aunt Ruth gazed intently at the floor, and then 
answered, " No." 

" Is it the fireplace ? " 

"No." 

" The painting over the piano ? " 

After a close look at the picture, Aunt liuth 
again said, '-ISro." 

" Bertha's dress ? " 

" No." 

And so the questions ran on, every answer being 
the same. 

" How does she know ? " began to be asked here 
and there. 

Finally the question came : " Is it the clock ? " 

" No," answered Aunt Euth again. 

" Is it Hetty Graeber's sash ? " 

All the children were on the alert now, for that 
was the object they had chosen. 

Aunt Euth went over to Betty, felt of her sash 
ribbon, and said : " Yes." 

" Oh, how can you tell ? " they chorused. 

" Do you want me to try it again ? " Aunt Euth 
smiled. 



66 Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 

" Yes, if you please/' and, " Oh, I wish you 
would ! " came from one and another. 

So something else Avas decided upon, and the 
questions and answers went along as before, only 
this time the girls and boys watched more closely, 
to see if they could discover Aunt Euth's secret 
way of knowing the object they had chosen. But 
they could not. 

" Is it my shoe ? " Carl asked at last, putting 
forward his foot and showing a handsome tie of 
patent leather. 

" No," said Aunt Euth. 

"Is it 'The Birds' Christmas Carol' in the 
bookcase ? '■ 

" Yes," replied Aunt Euth, " that is it." 

Everybody was puzzled — that is, everybody but 
Carl. He laughed. 

'- Try it once more ! " they pleaded. 

But no one guessed the secret even then. 

" You will have to tell us," Grace Chapin said. 

But the rest did not want to be told. " We 
want to find out for ourselves," they declared. 

" Let Grace go out," somebody suggested. 

Carl looked at Aunt Euth. She scribbled a 
few words on a bit of paper, and handed it to 
Grace as she left the room. 



Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 67 

•* Oh, you've told her the way to do it ! " Nor- 
ton cried. " Let me ask the questions." 

But Carl said he was afraid that his brother 
wouldn't do it right ; so with much laughing the 
play went on. 

Grace guessed the right thing, just as quickly 
as Aunt Ruth had, and then as nobody could 
solve the mystery, Carl told. 

" I name something that is black in color just 
before I come to the object chosen," he said; 
*' that's all there is to it." 



GOING ABROAD 

The young Chapins were begging their aunt 
for a new game. 

" Give us something that will make us think 
hard," said Carl. 

"^ We might play going abroad," she proposed. 

" Oh, what is that ? " cried Alice. " Let's ! " 

" It is good training for the memory," Aunt 
Ruth said. " I will begin with Norton. 

" Where did you go last summer ? You must 
answer, 'I went abroad.' 

" What did you see ? Tell me anything you 
choose." 



68 Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 

'' A cathedral," replied Norton. 

"Nowr Norton must ask Alice the same two 
questions, and she will give his two answers, and 
add something of her own that she saw." 

Alice gave Windsor Castle besides the cathedral, 
and then turned to Carl. 

" Where did you go last summer ? " she asked. 

" I went abroad," he answered. 

"What did you see?" 

" I saw a cathedral, Windsor Castle, and the 
Tower of London." 

" Oh, dear," sighed Bertha, " if it keeps up very 
long I know I can't remember ! " 

She told the three that had been given, adding, 
"some gondolas." 

Mrs. Chapin said she would play, too, so Bertha 
questioned her. 

" I saw a cathedral, Windsor Castle, the Tower 
of London, some gondolas, and the birthplace of 
Shakespeare." 

" I saw," replied Aunt Euth, " a cathedral, 
Windsor Castle, the Tower of London, some gon- 
dolas, the birthplace of Shakespeare, and a cricket- 
match." 

" I saw," began Norton, slowly, " a cathedral, 
the Tower of " 



I 



Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 69 

" No, no ! " his sisters cried. " You've skipped 
one ! " 

Norton thought scowlingly. " Gondolas," he 
went on, " and a cricket-match, and " 

" You're a little mixed up," mother said. 

" Well, cut me out ! " he exclaimed. " I can't 
remember, of course ! " 

'* This is to help you learn to remember," re- 
plied his aunt. " Begin again." 

And after two more attempts he did get them 
in order. 

" Whew," he cried, " but this is hard thinking 
enough to suit Carl ! " Alice added Buckingham 
Palace to the list, and then questioned Carl. 

The number was now so increased that every- 
body was watching breathlessly for a break. 

"A cathedral, Windsor Castle," began Carl, 
glibly, and then frowned. He looked around, 
and laughed. "I've forgotten what comes 
next ! " 

" It's your own," Alice reminded him ; but that 
did not bring the missing words. 

" Where were the princes ? " queried Aunt 
Kuth, but got no further. 

" Oh, the Tower of London ! " cried Carl, and 
then went on, " some gondolas, the birthplace of 



yo Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 

Shakespeare, a cricket-match, Mount Vesuvius, 
Buckingham Palace, and Oxford University." 

Bertha failed utterly, and so did Mrs. Chapin. 
It passed to Aunt Ruth. The rest waited eagerly 
to see if she could name all that had been given, 
there had been so many breaks. 

" A cathedral, Windsor Castle, the Tower of 
London, some gondolas, the birthplace of Shakes- 
peare, a cricket-match, Mount Vesuvius, Oxford 
University, and the Pyramids." 

Norton shook his head decidedly, and Alice 
tried, only to fail. Carl began, but blundered, 
and finally had to give it up, leaving Aunt Euth 
sole victor. 

" I say," cried Carl, " let's play this again ! I'm 
not going to be beaten by a few words ! " 



MRS. MORSE'S HORSE 

While Bertha had a lame knee they first heard 
about Mrs. Morse's Horse. The others had been 
having a lively game of Puss in the Corner, never 
noticing that Bertha was watching them wistfully 
from her wheel-chair. Suddenly Carl saw. 

" "What selfish pigs we are ! '' he cried. " Now 
let's have something that Bertha can play." 



Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 71 

Aunt Euth looked up from her finished let- 
ter. " We'll have Mrs. Morse's Horse," she an- 
nounced. 

Bertha smiled happily, and the rest looked ex- 
pectant. 

" Mrs. Morse's Horse is a curious creature," said 
Aunt Euth. "Where do you think he came 
from ? " she asked Carl. 

"I don't know." 

" There aren't many places where he could have 
come from, for it ought to be a town of five let- 
ters, beginning with H." 

"Oh!" cried Carl. He thought a moment. 
" Havre ? " he ventured. 

" The very place. You'd better get some paper 
and a pencil, so as to put your marks down. 
Havre counts you one for the initial letter and two 
for the right-length word, and three for the last 
letter, because it corresponds with the last letter 
of horse." 

"That makes six for me," said Carl, writing 
down the figures. 

" How much did Mrs. Morse pa}'' for him ? " 
asked Aunt Euth. 

" Might be a hundred dollars," answered Bertha ; 
" but that's more than five letters." 



72 Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 

" It is the best I think of," her aunt replied. 
" Put down one for Bertha, Carl." 

" What is his name, Alice ? " 

" Henry — no, Harry ! Oh ! wouldn't Hesse be 
better, though ? " 

" Capital ! Set down nine for Alice. 

" Where does the horse stay ? " 

" At a hotel," laughed Carl. 

" In the house," suggested Bertha. 

" House is the best," said Aunt Euth, " for it 
lacks only one letter of being like horse." 

" Why-ee," they cried, " so it does ! " 

" You will have to give Bertha twelve more for 
that," Aunt Euth said ; " one for the initial, two 
for the word of five letters, and three each for the 
o and s and e." 

" She's beating," groaned Carl. " I ought to 
be paid something for doing all this arithmetic." 

They laughed, while Aunt Euth asked, " What 
can the horse do ? " 

" He can hop," Norton ventured. 

" All right," Aunt Euth said. " Count one for 
Norton. You can all have a chance at this. We 
want to think of as many things as possible that 
Hesse can do." 

" Hurry," said Alice. 



Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 73 

" He can hear, hate, halt, and hobble," laughed 
Carl. 

" He can heave," said Norton. 

" Oh, don't give him the heaves ! " cried Carl, 
but he put down six for his brother. 

" He can help and he can haste," said Bertha. 

" Good ! " nodded Aunt Euth, while Carl worked 
his pencil. 

" Where can he go ? " 

^' We'll have to get our geographies," sighed 
Norton. 

But the children's memories needed no prompt- 
ing, to judge by the way the towns and countries 
went down as possible places for Mrs. Morse's 
Horse to trot to. 

Bertha won the game, with thirty marks. 

" I want to play it again," she said. 

"Next time," responded Aunt Kuth, " well try 
Mr. Conkey's Donkey." 



BLINDMAN'S CHOICE 

It was Irving's first party in the new neighbor- 
hood ; the boys and girls were almost strangers, 
and he felt very shy. His home was only next 
door, and he was tempted to run back to mother ; 



74 Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 

only he couldn't quite do anything so rude. He 
was a little apart from the rest, when Alice Chapin 
proposed playing " Blindman's Choice," and before 
he realized it Arthur Kamsey had drawn him into 
the group of merry children, the counting-out was 
over, and Irving — poor, timid Irving — was " it " ! 

Allan Brown blindfolded him, led him into the 
middle of the room, inside a circle of girls, turned 
him about three times, and then bade him make 
his choice. And he quickly recovered himself, and 
tried to do what was required of him. He walked 
slowly forward, his hands before him. He hadn't 
the least idea in which direction he was going ; 
but he soon touched something — a face! That 
was the signal for him to stop. 

For one dreadful minute Irving felt dazed and 
very uncomfortable ; but he really was a manly 
boy. 

" Now ask three questions of the girl of your 
choice," Herbert Denslow told him, " and guess 
from her answers who she is. If you don't guess 
right, another boy takes your place, and you must 
pay a forfeit." 

" Where do you live ? " asked Irving. 

" In a brown house," answered a disguised, 
squeaky little voice. 



Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 75 

" What does your father do ? " 

There was quite a pause, and a little giggling. 
Evidently the girl did not know what to say. 

Finally she said, " He writes." 

This was confusing, for Irving knew that a good 
many of the girls' fathers were in offices down town. 
He thought over the girls whose names he knew ; 
he did want to guess right, so as not to have to 
pay that forfeit. He must be very careful about 
his remaining question. He wondered if it could 
be Doctor Clay's little daughter, Minna — he wished 
it were, she was so pretty and so sweet, and he 
should like to be acquainted with her ; but it was 
more likely to be Belle Knight, whose father was 
a bookkeeper, or Janet Morrow, whose father 
wrote in an insurance office. Oh, if he only could 
know ! For he had overheard one boy say to 
another that those who guessed right would take 
those whom they chose out to tea — and he was 
afraid of Janet and Belle, they had such sharp, 
black eyes. 

" Hurry up ! " called out somebody. 

" What does your father write ? " Surely this 
would tell him. 

" Something to make folks better." 

" The minister's daughter ! " thought Irving 



76 Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 

disappointedly, for he had wanted it to be Minna 
Clay. He didn't know the minister's daughter's 
name. 

" I'll guess Minna Clay, anyway," thought the 
little boy, and he did — and the clapping of hands 
told him that his guess was right. And when tea 
time came Irving found Minna Clay as sweet as 
she looked. 

THE DEER HUNT 

The two Chapin families and the Vaunt family 
had come up to Winnehasset for the summer. 
The morning after the arrival of the Chapins the 
children were on the piazza discussing ways of 
spending their time, when Carl proposed a deer 
hunt. 

" There's nothing like it for a place like this," 
he declared. " You can go all over town if you 
want to." 

" Oh, let's ! " cried Maud Yaunt. " I'll be Keeper, 
'cause I know a lovely spot to hide the deer. 'No, 
I won't, either— I'll be Hunter ! I can find the 
deer anywhere in town — I know I can ! " 

" We generally count out," said Grace Chapin. 

" Well, but I've been here longest. I know 
every street in Winnehasset." 



Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 77 

" You came only day before yesterday," laughed 
Norton. 

" I don't care ! We've driven all over town, and 
I know every place there is ! " 

" All right ! Let her be Hunter if she likes," 
agreed Carl, good-naturedly, " and we'll count out 
for Keeper." 

The lot fell on himself. Then came the select- 
ing of deer and hounds. Keeper and Hunter 
choosing alternately until they had three apiece — 
all they could have this time, seeing there were 
only six left — and each trying to secure the 
swiftest runners. 

The Keeper's choice for his deer were his 
cousins, Walter and Faith, and his sister, Alice. 
Bertha, Grace, and Norton became hounds, and 
answered to the call of the Hunter. 

The fence corner just above the boarding-house 
was named as " the bars," and there waited the 
Hunter and her hounds while the Keeper went to 
seek a hiding-place for his deer. 

Going down the village street the colors were 
decided upon which the Keeper must shout, in 
case of need, to warn his deer. North was to be 
known as blue, south as red, west as yellow, and 
east as green. Faith had never played the game, 



78 Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 

so Carl explained that when Hunter and hounds 
start in search of the deer the Keeper follows, and 
if the Hunter approaches the deer's hiding-place, 
so that they are in danger of being discovered, the 
Keeper, if he wishes only to scatter his deer, shouts, 
" Kun, deer, run ! " On the other hand, if he sees 
that by taking a short cut the deer can probably 
reach " the bars " first, he calls the color which 
stands for the direction they must take, and thus, 
before Hunter and hounds realize which way they 
are going, the deer are well on toward the goal. 

The Keeper did not go far over the hill, only 
just out of sight of ^' the bars." 

" You're turning early," observed Alice. 

" Yes," smiled Carl, and his sister knew that he 
had a scheme in his head fitted to confuse the 
Hunter. 

He led his deer directly across a lot on a line at 
right angles with the road by which they had 
come, then he turned and went straight south, 
then east, then south again, then east once more, 
taking certain landmarks as his guide, and finally 
bearing toward home by a serpentine route that 
made Walter chuckle and Alice long to hurrah, 
for the more turnings there are on the diagram 
which the Keeper must draw for the Himter, just 



Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 79 

so much more difficult is made the Hunter's 
task. 

Nearing the back of the boarding-house by sev- 
eral right-angled turns, in a bushy fence corner 
he hid his deer, and walked alone to " the bars." 

" I thought you'd never get back ! " was the 
Hunter's greeting. " My, I could have hidden 
them ten times quicker ! Did you lose your way ? " 

" Not a bit of it ! " he laughed. " Here's the 
diagram — look sharp now ! " And picking up a 
stick he traced on the gravelly walk a rough guide 
of his route. 

" Oh, my ! " gasped the Hunter ; then she gave 
a little laugh. '^ You've taken all those turns just 
to puzzle me ; but I know this game. All I want 
is a level head. Come on, my hounds ! " and down 
the road sped the Hunter, the Keeper in the rear 
of the little procession. 

Over the hill she led them, on and on and on. 
Finally she climbed the fence, and took a few 
turns — all longer than those of the Keeper, and 
bringing them far to the southeast. 

Now and then the Hunter would charge her 
hounds to watch for the deer, while on and on 
they went, till even the hills looked unfamiliar, 
and not a farmhouse was in sight. 



8o Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 

Finally Norton remonstrated. " We are get- 
ting too far from home. I haven't the slightest 
idea where we are." 

" Don't you worry ! " retorted the Hunter. " I 
could go home in two minutes if I chose ; but I'm 
going to find those deer ! " And she set off at a 
smart pace for a stretch of woods. She had ap- 
parently abandoned the guidings of the diagram, 
going wherever her fancy dictated. 

" He didn't come so far as this," asserted Walter. 
" Did you really ? " addressing the Keeper. 

Carl shook his head. 

" What did you let me go on for, then ? " pouted 
the Hunter. 

"You said you knew the way," he laughed. 
" I am not sure, but I think we are a long distance 
from home." 

" Let's go back ! " cried Norton. " Come ! " 

"You've no right to take things out of my 
hands ! " the Hunter protested. " Your business 
is to follow me ! " 

" We have been following," laughed Carl, " but 
we don't want to keep on down to Connecticut." 

It was decided to risk the nearest road ; but 
that was difficult to find. Field after field was 
crossed, and still no road appeared. 



Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 81 

Clouds had been gathering, piling higher and 
higher, until the sun only peeped out now and 
then ; but none of the party had thought of rain. 
Suddenly there came a low muttering of thunder, 
and the wind rose in little gusts. 

" Well, we are in for it ! " cried Norton. 

" Oh, what shall we do ! " gasped Grace. 

" I'm going under that big tree ! " and off ran 
Maud, as the drops began to fall. 

" No ! no ! come back ! " shouted Carl. 

" That's an oak — the most unsafe place you 
could get ! " 

" Pshaw ! " called the girl. " I'm not afraid ! 
It is lovely under here — not a bit wet ! " 

" She mustn't stay there ! " declared Carl, as the 
lightning flashed sharply. " Come on, Norton, 
and get her back ! " 

The boys returned, almost dragging their re- 
sentful captive, for she pulled away with every 
step. 

" Now, let's cuddle in among these low bushes," 
proposed Carl. " They'll shield us a little." 

" They are thicker over there ! " cried Bertha. 

" Too near that wire fence. This is safer." 

"And wetter!" grumbled Maud. "I've a 
good mind " the words were lost in a terrible 



82 Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 

crash, when the very earth seemed to be splitting 
arouad them. 

" The tree ! " gasped Norton. 

The lightning had blazed the oak from top to 
root. 

Maud hid her face, sobbing softly. 

The others looked at one another in frightened 
silence. 

The violence of the storm was soon over, and 
presently Bertha announced, " It is growing 
brighter in the west." After a little the rain 
slackened. 

It was a bedraggled and subdued five that 
reached the boarding-house about two o'clock. 
From the piazza three mothers joyfully watched 
the approach. The " deer " ran to meet their 
comrades. 

" Where have you been ?" " Did you get lost ? " 
" Were you out in all that shower ? " " My, how 
wet you are ! " 

Maud's face was scarlet. 

^' We took a longer walk than we expected/' 
answered Carl. 

" I wonder if they'll give us some dinner," said 
Norton. " I'm hungry as a hound ! " 

" But, say, what made you stay so long ? " per- 



Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 83 

sisted Faith. " Where'd you go ? We thought 
you'd see the shower coming and hurry 
home." 

" I lost my bearings," Carl returned quietly. 

" It was all my fault ! " flashed Maud. " No- 
body else " 

" Not all," broke in Carl. " My route was 
planned to confuse " 

" Just as it should be in a deer hunt," she inter- 
rupted, " and I say nobody is to blame but me ! 
Next time I hope I'll know enough not to pre- 
tend to know what I don't know — I guess I sha'n't 
forget, when you've saved my life ! " 

Then the whole story had to be told, and the 
excited talking only ceased when the mothers 
hurried their children away for dry clothing. 

At the second Deer Hunt, and in fact every 
Deer Hunt that came afterward, Maud Vaunt 
never proposed herself as either Hunter or Keeper, 
but acted her allotted part as modestly and un- 
selflshly as the others, and nobody heard her boast 
of knowing anything at all. 



84 Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 



INITIALS— A PARTY GAME 

At a big afternoon party given at the summer 
boarding-house, Bertha proposed the game of Ini- 
tials. The children had all discovered that the 
Chapin boys and girls had an Aunt Euth who 
owned a headful of games ; so when well-known 
sports failed they were always appealed to. 

•"• We might play ' Initials,' " Bertha said. " It 
needs a good many, and there must be fifty or 
more of us. One has to be blindfolded. Then 
the rest all change seats. Suppose I'm blind- 
folded. Of course I don't know where anybody 
is. I walk up to somebody and ask any question 
I please, and that one must answer in words be- 
ginning with his initials. I have to guess his 
name in that way. One night somebody asked 
my brother Norton who he was, and he an- 
swered, 'l^aughty Little Child,' for l^orton 
Lester Chapin. It is great fun when you get 
used to it." 

The children entered into the play with noisy 
zest, and, after changing seats, it was some time 
before they were quiet enough to begin the game. 
Then Bertha, who was blindfolded, walked along 



Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 85 

the piazza and stopped beside a boy. It was still 
now, except for a few giggles here and there. 

" Who are you ? " Bertha asked. 

In a minute came the answer, in a squeaky 
voice, " A Lovely Girl." 

At this there was a great shout, which made 
Bertha say, as soon as she could be heard : 

"I don't much believe you are. I half think 
you're a boy. Let me see, — A. L. G. Oh, I 
know! You are Allan Graeber, aren't you? I 
don't know your middle name." 

She was right, so the handkerchief was trans- 
ferred to Allan's eyes, and seats were changed 
again. 

Allan's first question was : 

" "What do you do for a living ? " 

Carl Chapin happened to be the one to answer, 
and as he was used to the game he thought 
quickly. 

" Catch Big Codfish," he said. 

Allan guessed at once, " Charlie Cowles," and 
as that was wrong, he had to keep on. 

His next stop was by Hester Potter, and to the 
question, "What do you like best in all the 
world?" she answered, "Harps And Pianos," for 
her middle name was Annette. 



86 Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 

After a little thought the name was correctly 
guessed, and Hester took Allan's place. 

The children played "• Initials " until supper 
was announced, and only a party feast could easily 
have drawn them away from this delightful new 
game. 

THE VANISHING VIEW 

It was a lifeless morning, too hot for active 
games, and the young people had joined Aunt 
Ruth on the shady piazza. 

" There goes Mrs. Nankervis," observed Bertha, 
her eyes following a tall lady down the opposite 
side of the broad street. 

^' It looks more like Miss Jerome," disagreed 
l^orton. "I never saw Mrs. Nankervis in white." 

" Why, it is Miss Jerome ! " laughed Bertha. 
" Queer I should take one for the other." 

"The vanishing view is often deceptive," re- 
marked Aunt Ruth. " Suppose you all shut your 
eyes for a minute or two, and when somebody 
has gone by that we know I will give the word. 
We will see who is the most correct guesser." 

The four pairs of eyes shut tightly, while Aunt 
Ruth kept watch. 



Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 87 

*' Now ! " she said, just as the figure of a short, 
stout womau was disappearing in the distance. 

" Mrs. Waterman ! " softly cried the children. 

" That was easy," Aunt Ruth laughed. " No- 
body else around here walks just as she does." 

" Or wears a hat with so many roses on it," 
added Carl. 

" Let's try it again," said Alice, and once more 
Aunt Euth was on the lookout. 

" Open your eyes/' she bade them after a while. 

The back of a tall, broad-shouldered man was 
this time in view. 

" Mr. Carpenter," guessed Bertha. 

" I should say Mr. Ashworth," returned Carl. 

" It's Mr. Carpenter's cap," said Alice. 

" And his walk," added Norton. 

But Aunt Ruth only smiled. 

" Oh ! " suddenly cried Carl. " See that cigar 
smoke! Neither Mr. Carpenter nor Mr. Ash- 
worth ever smokes." 

"A good mark of distinction," softly com- 
mented Aunt Ruth. 

" I should say so," replied Carl. " But who is 
it ? That's the question ! " 

" It's Mr. Spencer," decided Bertha. 

It was. 



88 Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 



LENTIL ARITHMETIC 

On the last day of August Juanita had fallen 
and hurt her knee, so that when school opened she 
was unable to walk. 

" When I go back," she mourned, " they will 
put me in the first grade again. Bessie and May 
and Gertrude will be ahead of me." 

Mamma tried to comfort her. " Perhaps you 
can catch up," she said. 

In a few days Aunt Euth came for a visit. 
Juanita couldn't remember her, but they were 
friends right away, and auntie heard about the 
little girl's trouble. 

" If it weren't for numbers," Juanita said, " I 
shouldn't be afraid ; but I can't learn numbers. I 
get all mixed up." 

Pretty soon Aunt Euth brought in a cup of un- 
cooked lentils. 

" How far can you count ? " she asked. 

" Up to twenty.'^ 

" Good ! Aftef you have played with these a 
few weeks, perhaps you will be able to count to 
one hundred." 

Juanita sat up in her little wheel-chair and 



Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 89 

opened her eyes wide. " How do you play with 
lentils ? " she questioned. " I never did." 

" I have," said Aunt Kuth, and she placed 
mamma's light lap-board in the little girl's lap, 
and began arranging the lentils in rows. Then 
she asked her to count them. 

" One," Juanita counted ; " one, two ; one, two, 
three ; one, two, three, four." 

There was just one more in each row, as she 
went down the board. The last row contained 
twenty of the little flat lentils. 

Then Aunt Kuth taught her to add two lentils 
to one lentil, which made three, and two lentils to 
two lentils, which made four, and so on. 

When she was tired of adding lentils together, 
the big board was turned into a schoolroom, with 
lentils for scholars. The darkest ones were the 
boys, the green ones the big girls, and the little 
pale ones were the youngest of all. She and 
Aunt Ruth had great fun with the lentil school. 

In a few days Juanita learned how to subtract 
two lentils from five lentils, and seven lentils from 
twenty lentils, and so on. What had bothered 
her before was fast becoming clear. Then after 
she had learned subtraction, she found out that 
multiplication was only a shorter way of addition. 



90 Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 

It was so very easy to learn it with the lentils. 
Later she divided six lentils into three groups of 
two lentils each, and discovered that she was 
dividing six by two. 

" Why, I shall get ahead of Bessie and May and 
Gertrude ! " she cried, gleefully. " I sha'n't have 
to be put back in the first grade ! " 

And when Aunt Ruth's visit came to an end, 
Juanita had gone in numbers so far beyond her 
class she had only to catch up in the other things 
which she learned easily. 

" But numbers are easy now," said the little 
girl, — " as easy as spelling." 



TOOTHPICKVILLE SCHOOL 

JuAKiTA came back from the kitchen with her 
store of things that she had begged from Tilly. 
She looked them over with brightening eyes. 

" I'll have a lovely school," she told herself. 

She took three toothpicks from their box and 
stuck them into a plump red cranberry. 

" There," she said, standing the first scholar on 
the table, " you are Bobby Cranberry ! Don't you 
forget your name ! " 

The next was Beatrice, Bobby's sister, and then 



Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 91 

there were Henrietta and Mabel and Egbert and 
Jack and Lorraine, all belonging to the same fam- 
ily. She now stuck the toothpicks into raisins. 
There was Virginia Raisin, with her two brothers, 
Henry and John, besides little Paul and Pauline, 
the Raisin twins. Then came three Walnut chil- 
dren, two Prune boys, Imogen Fig and Arabella 
Gumdrop — whose home had been in Tilly's apron 
pocket. This completed the list of scholars. 

Juanita ranged them on the table, looking at 
them with great satisfaction. 

" I guess the doughnuts are done by this time," 
she decided, and ran down-stairs to the kitchen. 

" Yes," answered Tilly ; '* he's cooling by the 
pantry window. Isn't he a handsome fellow?" 
as Juanita brought out the fat brown cake. 
" He'll make a fine teacher ! " 

" But, Tilly, it isn't he ! " cried Juanita. " It's 
going to be Miss Doughnut— let me see Miss Vic- 
toria Doughnut ! " 

" Oh, that's it, is it ? " said Tilly. "All right I 
It's light as a feather you'll find her." 

"Why, Tilly, I'm not going to eat her — not 
now, anyway ! She's going to teach the Tooth- 
pickville School. You come up and see them 
when you get your cakes fried — they look awful 



92 Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 

cute ! Aunt Ruth and I played it when she was 
here, and it's lots of fun. Thank you for this ! " 
she called back, and then skipped on, to convert 
Miss Victoria Doughnut into a school-teacher that 
could properly stand. 

It took four toothpicks to make her stand, for 
the young lady was plump as well as feathery. 

"Kow," began Juanita, "Bobby Cranberry, 
you may spell cat." 

" 0-a-t," squeaked a little voice. 

" Yes, that's right," Juanita responded. " You 
may stay at the head of the class. Arabella 
Gumdrop," addressing a very red little scholar, 
"spell cow." 

" K-o-w," came in piping tones. 

" ISTo, that is very wrong," and Miss Doughnut 
was made to shake a toothpick whip in the face 
of the ignorant Arabella. " If you don't spell the 
next word better I shall eat you up ! Now try 
cap." 

"K-a-p." 

" JSTo, that isn't right ! " declared the teacher. 
" You don't know anything, and I shall do just 
what I said I would, and I hope your punishment 
will make the rest of the scholars study their les- 



Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 93 

Forthwith Arabella Gumdrop disappeared, leg- 
less, in Juanita's mouth, and the spelling pro- 
ceeded without further loss of pupils. For a time 
the reciting was good. After that came numbers, 
and unlucky Tom Walnut, upon saying that two 
and three made six, promptly vanished in the way 
of Arabella; and Imogen Fig, who found that 
the sum of four and four were ten, left the school- 
room like the others, although she departed in a 
more leisurely fashion. 

The Eaisin children, the Walnuts and the Prune 
boys met the same happy fate, till the Cranberry 
girls and boys were all that were left to Miss 
Doughnut's charge. Finally Bobby, the most at- 
tractive, also disappeared, and his brothers and sis- 
ters soon followed. Miss Victoria was traveling 
the same road, when Tilly's face was thrust in at 
the half-open door. 

" Oh, Tilly, why didn't you come quicker ? " cried 
Juanita, in sudden dismay. "I told those chil- 
dren I'd eat them up if they didn't have their les- 
sons, and of course I had to keep my word ! They 
wouldn't study or anything ! " 

" And Where's the teacher ? " said Tilly, laugh- 
ing, eying Juanita's half -closed hand. 

" Why," answered the unabashed Juanita, " she 



94 Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 

had to follow the children to keep track of them. 
If you had come a little sooner," she added gener- 
ously, " I'd have let you have some of the scholars 
— it was a delicious school ! " 



HOW MANY ARE GOING BY? 

"Oh, Aunt Kuth ! " and Paul and Pauline 
sprang to meet a young lady in the doorway. 
But their joy quickly turned to sorrow, for she 
was dressed for the street. 

" I hoped you'd tell us a story," whined Paul. 

" We don't know what to do," sighed Pauline. 

" Dear me," laughed the lady, " to think of 
twins not knowing what to do, when they have 
each other to play with ! " 

" But we've played everything over and over," 
apologized Paul. 

" Let me see," and the pretty, young aunt 
rested her chin upon a thumb and forefinger. 

The twins looked joyfully expectant, for some- 
thing nice was always at hand when Aunt Kuth 
said, " Let me see." 

Pauline was bidden to fetch two sheets of paper, 
two books to rest them on, and two pencils. 



Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 95 

Then the children were seated at the broad front 
window. 

" My brother and I," said Aunt Kuth, " used to 
play what we called ' How Many Are Going By ? ' 
We had great fun at it. Paul can take the 
women and little girls, and Pauline the men and 
boys ; put down a mark for each person, and see 
which will have the most by the time I get back." 

Their aunt waved them a smiling good-bye from 
the sidewalk, and Paul put a straight mark on his 
paper for her. Next came two men for Pauline, 
then a little girl for Paul, and the fun was really 
begun. 

" See that man with two babies ! " cried Pauline ; 
" that makes three for me ! " 

"They are not boy babies!" retorted Paul; 
" they're girls, and they are mine ! " 

" It isn't fair," argued his sister ; " they are boys 
— they look just like them ! " 

" Boys ! " cried Paul, " with muslin caps ! " 

"Boys wear 'em, too." 

" I don't care, they're girls ! " 

" Oh, dear ! we're losing lots of folks ! " and 
Pauline was ready to cry. 

" Your fault ! " sputtered Paul. 

" Don't let's quarrel ! " pleaded his sister. 



96 Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 

" S'pose we both take all the babies, and leave it 
to Aunt Ruth which shall have them." 

" Well," assented Paul ; " but I'm going to have 
those two, for they're mine ! " 

His sister said nothing. She was too busy, and 
after a moment's pause, during which Paul lost 
several people, he slyly made two little marks in 
the space allotted to the babies. 

" The babies ? " laughed Aunt Ruth. " I forgot 
about them. Generally we both kept account of 
those, and " 

" Just what we've done ! " interrupted Paul. 

" And then," she went on, " we sometimes gave 
them to the one that had the smallest number, 
and occasionally to whichever didn't lose temper 
through the game." 

The twins looked down at their papers for a 
minute. Then Pauline spoke. 

"I guess we both got kind o' mad over the 
babies," she said, " so we couldn't do that last way, 
could we, Paul ? " 

" JSTo," said Paul, honestly, " we could not.'^ 

" How many babies have you ? " asked Aunt 
Ruth, running her eye over the marks. " Thirty- 
seven ! A good many for one game ! And 
which of you has the largest number of people?" 



Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 97 

" Two hundred and fourteen," finally announced 
Pauline. 

" One hundred and seventy-seven," acknowl- 
edged Paul, sorrowfully. 

" Paul had better take the babies," said his 
sister, generously. 

Aunt Huth had been doing a little figuring in 
her head. " Well," she said, " let Paul add the 
thirty-seven babies to his number." 

" Why-ee ! " he exclaimed, his face brighten- 
ing, " isn't that funny ? It makes just the same 
as yours, Pauline ! " 

" And how do you like the play ? " asked Aunt 
Ruth. 

" It's fine fun ! " cried Paul. 

" Just beautiful ! " agreed Pauline. 



NOVEI. SPELLING 

Aunt Ruth had been away on a month's 
visit, and was welcomed home with joy. 

" Have you any new game ? " asked Alice. 
" I know you have, by the way your eyes twinkle." 

" I have learned a new spelling game," her aunt 
replied. 

" Oh, can we try it to-night ? " begged Norton. 



98 Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 
"I am ready," she answered, ''if the others 



are." 



Carl and Bertha came over to Aunt Euth's side, 
and she began explaining the game. 

" It is very easy. All it needs is quick thought 
and a knowledge of spelling. I think of some 
word and spell it, but I must choose a word that 
has another word within it, and that I only pro- 
nounce. You will soon see how it goes. Here is 
one, 6-e or g-e." 

There was a moment's silence, and then Carl 
cried, " Oh, George ! Why, that's good ! " 

" Yes ; we had a good deal of fun with it at your 
Uncle Henry's," said Aunt Euth. "It is your 
turn now, Carl, to give a word." 

After a minute's pause, " C or n," he spelled. 

Bertha was the first to say, " Corn," but she 
could not think of another word, so Aunt Euth 
gave one. 

" H and 1-e," she spelled. 

The four Chapins thought hard, but it was 
more puzzling than the others. Then Bertha cried, 
" Handle ! " 

'• Of course ! " Carl exclaimed, in a disgusted 
voice. " I don't see what there is about it that 
mixes us up so." 



Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 99 

" There is where the fun of the game comes in,'' 
laughed Aunt Euth. " Now, Bertha." 

" M and a-t-e," Bertha spelled, and this word 
took a longer time than the others. 

Carl guessed it, and gave " S hoe s," which Alice 
pronounced almost at once. 

As a new word she gave, '' B-e to k-e-n," and 
Aunt Kuth was the first to guess it. 

" C love r," she said, and Carl followed with, 
" B-e-s to w." 

Bertha guessed bestow, and gave, " Q-u in c-e." 

Then Aunt Ruth gave one containing two words, 
" H is to r-y," and Carl, " B is c-u it." 

" Bed t-i me ! " called father, across the room, 
which made everybody laugh. 

" Bedtime ! " shouted Norton. " That's the first 
one I've guessed." 



BOTTLE RACES 

" There, I've beaten you ! " cried Carl, drop- 
ping on the piazza steps, after his race across the 
lawn with Alice at his heels. 

" Anyway, here's for nimble fingers ! " laughed 
his sister, as with a flirt of her hand his cap was 
sent flying. 



100 Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 

"You said I couldn't beat you!" and CarPs 
head wagged his exultation. 

" Maybe you can't next time," returned Alice, 
good-naturedly. 

" How should you like to try a bottle race ? " 
asked Aunt Kuth, looking up from her embroidery. 

" What's that ? " questioned Carl. 

" Do you race, or the bottles ? " queried Alice. 

" Both," laughed her aunt. " I wonder where 
is the best place for it," and she cast her eyes over 
the lawn. " Across from those rhododendrons to 
this walk will be about far enough ; it must be 
thirty feet or so. Carl, suppose you fetch a long 
pole, and lay it down by the shrubbery, parallel 
with the walk here ; that will answer for a line. 
And, Alice, you may see if you can find six quart 
bottles, or pints will do if they are tall enough. 
I think you will find plenty of grape-juice bottles 
in the cellar, and they will be just the right shape 
to handle easily." 

"Come on!" called Carl, catching sight of 
Norton and Bertha, as he was returning with his 
pole. " We are going to pla}'- a new game ! " 

Alice soon brought a basket of empty bottles, 
all alike, with long, slender necks. 

" Set three along by one end of the pole, and 



Playtime Games for Boys and Girls loi 

three by the other," bade her aunt. " Only two 
of you can play at once, unless you have more bot- 
tles, and more than that is apt to make confusion. 
The game is to start from this walk, and run across 
and fetch the three bottles, one at a time ; and 
whoever gets them over here quickest wins." 

" Oh, that will be jolly I " cried Carl. 

" Kemember, the bottles must be set down here 
squarely against the turf, and if one tumbles over 
you have to pick it up. Who is going to try it first ? " 

" Oh, let Carl and Alice ! " exclaimed Norton. 
" They're always squabbling over which can run 
fastest." 

The rest laughed at this, for these two were 
verily chums. 

They took their places, toes on the grass line, 
and Aunt Kuth gave the signal for starting. On 
the first round they kept nearly abreast, then one 
of Alice's bottles fell over, and while she was right- 
ing it Carl gained. On the last trip, however, 
Carl's fingers sent his bottle rolling, and Alice 
reached the goal ahead. 

They were glad to rest while Bertha and Norton 
took their places ; but as soon as Norton brought 
in the last bottle, leaving Bertha full three yards 
behind, they were ready for another race. 



102 Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 

" I'm going to win this ! " declared Carl. 

But he didn't, which made the others wag their 
heads knowingly. 

This only made Carl the more determined to 
beat, and he recklessly announced that he wasn't 
going to eat any dinner until he did. 

For two rounds it seemed likely to be a tie, but 
on the last Carl made a desperate spurt, which 
brought him in a little ahead. 

'' Oh, this is a jolly game ! " he cried, dropping 
wearily on the steps, " and," reaching out a hand 
to his small sister, " you — can — ^run ! " 



BIBLE CHAIN 

TowAED the end of a stormy Sunday, Bertha 
appealed to her aunt for something to do. " Carl," 
she argued, " ought not to read any more, with 
his weak eyes. You know something nice," she 
coaxed, " I'm sure you do." 

" Did you ever try an endless chain of Bible 
verses ? " Aunt Ruth smiled. 

None of the children knew anything about it, so 
Aunt Ruth and the four drew their chairs in front 
of the fire, while she explained. 

" I will begin," she said, " by repeating any verse 



Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 103 

I choose, and any one may follow me ; but it must 
be with a verse that contains a word which is in 
my verse. You will soon get hold of the way it 
goes. Let me see." Aunt Ruth thought a min- 
ute, and then said : 

" ' I am the good shepherd : the good shepherd 
giveth His life for the sheep.' " 

A pause followed. All were trying to think of 
a verse. Carl was the first to recall one that con- 
tained a word of Aunt Ruth's. 

" ' My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, 
and they follow Me,' " he repeated. 

Aunt Ruth nodded smilingly. "That is the 
way," she said. She waited a moment, and as no- 
body had a verse that would fit into Carl's, she 
gave one : 

" ' Follow peace with all men, and holiness, with- 
out which no man shall see the Lord.' " 

In a minute Alice was ready, and she said : 

" ' Blessed is he that considereth the poor : the 
Lord will deliver him in time of trouble.' " 

" This is getting interesting," spoke up Norton ; 
" only the trouble is I can't think of any verse. 
Let's take a little longer time. Aunt Ruth." 

They waited and waited, while Norton scowled 
and smiled by turns ; but finally he said, 



104 Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 

" Go ahead, somebody ! I'll have to study up, 
sure ! " 

" So shall I have to," Bertha agreed. 

Carl gave another : 

" ' Blessed are the meek : for they shall inherit 
the earth.' " 

ISTorton pricked up his ears, his face brightened, 
and as soon as Carl was through he began : 

" ' Blessed are the merciful : for they shall ob- 
tain mercy.' 

" ' Blessed are the pure in heart ; for they shall 
see God.' 

"^Blessed '" 

" Oh, please leave me one ! " begged Bertha. 

Norton nodded for her to finish the verse he 
had started, and she did so. 

" ' Blessed are the peacemakers : for they shall 
be called the children of God.' " 

The rest of the " Blesseds " went round the 
little group. Aunt Euth ending with, " ' Blessed 
are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute 
you, and shall say all manner of evil against you 
falsely, for My sake.' " 

Carl followed promptly with, " ' Be not over- 
come of evil, but overcome evil with good.' " 

" ' The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger : 



Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 105 

but they that seek the Lord shall not want any 
good thing.' " 

This was from Aunt Ruth, and she had scarcely 
stopped speaking, when mamma came to say that 
tea was ready. 

"We'll try that again next Sunday," said 
Norton, "and I sha'n't let everybody beat me, 
either ! " 

" Guess it wouldn't hurt any one of us to study 
up on Bible verses," smiled Alice. 



SHOPPING 

The Chapins, led by Aunt Ruth, had just 
started a new game, when Dr. Hillhouse dropped 
in. 

" May I play ? " he questioned. 

"Oh, yes, do!" cried Bertha. "Take this 
rocking-chair, doctor, and I'll tell you how it goes. 
You say to me, ' I've been shopping,' and I ask, 
' What have you bought ? ' Then instead of tell- 
ing right out, you make each letter of the word 
the initial of another word. For instance, mother 
just said she'd bought ' a basket of odd knives/ 
when it was a book." 

" Yes, I see," nodded the doctor. 



lo6 Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 

" It's Carl's turn now," spoke up Alice. 

" I've been shopping," responded Carl. 

^' What did you buy ? " queried Bertha. 

"Big red elephant and diamonds," was the 
prompt answer. 

" Oh, bread ! " said Bertha. " But who ever 
heard of a red elephant ? " 

Dr. Hillhouse guessed Bertha's "Dozen of 
lovely lilies," and then gave as his own purchase : 

" Horn of rare, sweet elecampane." 

Alice guessed horse, at the same time saying 
she thought it a queer thing to buy. 

"It's a kind of sweetmeat," the doctor ex- 
plained, laughing. 

Alice bought a " Darling, real English, sportive 
spaniel," and Aunt Euth, " Some wafers, eggs, 
and tender, early rhubarb." 

It took ISTorton a minute or so to make these 
things into sweater. Then he gave, " Capital old 
whale," which his mother easily guessed. 

"Didn't know they had whale shops," said 
Alice. 

" Picture of Nathaniel Yates," said Carl. 

" Pony ! " exclaimed Bertha. " But who is 
Nathaniel Yates ? " 

" I'm sure I don't know," said her brother. 



Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 107 

" This is the easiest game I ever played," said 
Alice. But when Dr. Hillhouse answered the 
usual question with the whirl of words, " Side- 
board, table, oak chairs, kaleidoscopic instruments, 
neckerchiefs, gaiters, scarfs," she stared at him in 
dismay. 

" Why, you said them so fast," she faltered, 
" I couldn't get hold of anything." 

" Isn't speed allowable ? " The doctor glanced 
smilingly toward Aunt Kuth. 

" The faster the better," she replied. 

" Oh, that's fine ! " cried Carl. " Saying the 
words slow makes it too easy. He said sideboard 
first, Alice, and then came table. And gaiters 
and scarfs were the last. S-t-g-s." 

" Stockings ! " cried Carl and Alice, in unison. 



BOUQUETS 

Harey Coe was giving a party, and the chil- 
dren played old games till they were tired of 
them. 

''Don't you know something new?" Harry 
asked of Bertha Chapin. 

" Yes," Bertha replied ; " Aunt Euth taught us 
a nice game last week — ' Bouquets.' " 



io8 Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 

-' That sounds lovely," said Bessie Maltby ; " do 
tell us how to play it ! " 

So the children seated themselves around the 
room, each deciding on a flower to represent, 
while Bertha said she would ask the questions 
first, so as to show the rest how it was done. She 
began with Tom. 

" Are you sweet ? " she asked. 

" Yes," Tom answered. 

" What color are you ? " 

Tom laughed. " 'Most every color, I guess," he 
said. 

" When do you bloom ? " 

" Oh, in the summer ! " 

"Yes," Bertha explained; *^but I mean what 
time in the summer. I have only three questions, 
but I meant that with the other." 

" Well," said Tom, " I believe I come pretty 
early." 

" A rose," guessed Bertha. 

That was right, and Bertha took Tom, and stood 
him on one side of the room, as the first flower in 
her bouquet. 

The next one was May Sill, who confessed that 
she was not sweet. 

" Are you large or small ? " asked Bertha. 



Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 109 

" Large." 

^'Single or double?" 

" Both," May answered. 

" Hollyhock," said Bertha. 

" No," laughed May, " you're wrong." 

" What then ? " 

"Must I tell?" 

" Yes. I lose, and you take my place." 

" A dahUa." 

May was fortunate enough to get two flowers 
for her bouquet, and so the game went on. The 
questioner could ask anything relating to flowers, 
but only three inquiries were allowed to a guess. 
The play was continued until all the players had 
found places in bouquets, and the one whose bou- 
quet numbered the most blossoms was the winner. 



'* TOM, TOM, TOMMY '' 

The sound of merry voices outside sent Carl to 
the front door. 

" It is Aunt Ella and the children," said Alice, 
and the next minute the Oakdale relatives ap- 
peared. 

a "WTe're going to stay till eight o'clock," an- 
nounced Faith. 



1 10 Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 

" Oh, goody ! " cried the jubilant young Cha- 
pins. 

Grace soon proposed to ^' play something," and 
Aunt Euth was appealed to. 

" You've never tried ' Tom, Tom, Tommy,' have 
you ? " she asked. 

" Never," chorused the children. 

"Well," Aunt Euth began, "it is merely a 
question of whether you can do this or not. Just 
look here ! " and she held out her left hand, palm 
sidewise, striking in turn the thumb and four 
fingers with the first finger of her right hand, to 
the accompaniment of, "Big Tom, little Tom, 
Tom, Tom, Tommy." 

" Ho, that's easy ! " cried Walter. He held his 
fingers in imitation of his aunt, repeating, " Big 
Tom, little Tom, Tom, Tom, Tommy." 

To his astonishment Aunt Euth said, " No." 

" Why ! " he exclaimed, " I don't see " 

" Let me try," put in Grace. " Big Tom, little 
Tom, Tom, Tom, Tommy." 

But the " No " was as prompt as before. 

Several of the others tried it, with no better 
success. The elder people grew interested. 

" Euth, do that again, please," papa said. 

" All right," she laughed. " Watch me closely. 



Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 1 1 1 

Just look here ! " and she spread her fingers, slowly 
rapping oflf the words, " Big Tom — little Tom — 
Tom— Tom— Tommy." 

" It looks easy," remarked papa, " but I don't 
suppose I'll do it right." And he did not. 

The fun ran high. "Tom — Tom — Tommy," 
sounded on every side. 

" It's the twist she gives as she strikes her little 
finger," cried Carl. " Now look here ! Big Tom, 
little Tom, Tom, Tom, Tommy." 

" That is right," Aunt Kuth said. 

" I knew it was ! " shouted Carl. " Hurrah ! " 

"Suppose you do it once more," smiled his 
aunt, mischievously. 

Carl rattled off the words, ending with the 
same twist of his fingers, which he believed was 
the secret. 

" Wrong," was Aunt Euth's comment, to 
her nephew's amazement and the others' de- 
light. 

" You are oflf the track," his aunt told him. 
" You hit upon the right way only by accident. 
None of you observe me closely enough. Just 
look here ! Big Tom— little Tom— Tom— Tom- 
Tommy." 

" Oh, oh ! " exclaimed Grace, " I see 1 " 



1 1 2 Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 

She spread her fingers. " Just look here ! Big 
Tom, little Tom, Tom, Tom, Tommy." 

Aunt Euth nodded and smiled. It was not 
long then before the rest discovered the secret 
— the saying of " Look here ! " before counting off 
the meaningless words. 



BOX BALL 

The Chapin children gave a party in honor of 
their cousin, Mildred Joyce, who was spending a 
month at their house and at Oakdale. Of course, 
the Oakdale cousins, Grace, Faith, and Walter, 
were there, besides a dozen or two others. 

" Don't you think I am almost too old for this 
party ? " Aunt Euth had laughed, when she had 
received her invitation. 

"You will never be too old to play at our 
parties," they had all declared, and so the pretty 
young auntie was one of them, as usual. 

It was she who proposed the new game of box 
ball, and at once there was great interest among 
the children. 

Three large, deep pasteboard boxes were brought 
out, and set on the floor in a row, about three feet 
apart. The boxes were prettily trimmed with rib- 



Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 1 13 

bons, the one nearest the middle of the room with 
red, the next yellow, and the one farthest from the 
group of children, and nearest the wall, with bright 
blue. Every boy and girl was then given three 
small balls exactly alike, but different from those 
given to anybody else. These balls were home- 
made, about an inch and a half through, and of 
various colors, plain, striped, and figured. 

"Wonder what they're stuffed with," said 
Norton Chapin, denting one of his own balls with 
his thumb, and Aunt Ruth answered : " Cotton 
wool." 

Soon the game began, each playing his three 
balls five feet away from the red-ribboned box. 
That made the players about eight feet from the yel- 
low box and eleven from the blue. They had their 
choice of boxes, and could throw their balls — or try 
to — into the first, second, or third box, playing one 
ball at a time. A ball in the red box counted 
two, in the yellow box five, and in the blue box 
ten. Everybody wanted to try for the blue box, 
but, that being so much further away, it was 
much more difficult to lodge a ball in it — as the 
girls and boys soon found out. 

Mabel Wooster was the first player, and her 
first spotted ball bounded far to one side of the 



114 Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 

blue box. Then she tried the yellow box, and 
missed that. Her last ball dropped into the red 
box. 

Then Stanley Jones played his three balls. He 
also aimed for the blue box — aimed for that every 
time. How the children laughed when all three 
went rolling over the floor ! 

Martha Wilcox came next. She was smaller 
than the rest, and not much used to ball playing, 
so she wisely tossed all her balls into the nearest 
box. 

The next player, however, a boy, threw toward 
the box of honor, and was no more successful than 
Stanley had been. 

The children grew excited, the players became 
nervous, and the balls flew wildly about ; not a 
single ball was lodged in the blue box. 

Maurice Hopkins had put two of his balls in the 
yellow box, which made his score ten. That was 
the highest, so he won the game. Little Martha 
Wilcox, whose score was six, came next. 

As soon as the balls could be found and distrib- 
uted another game was played, and this time 
Carl Chapin succeeded in placing two balls in the 
box of honor. 

One or two little disputes started as to who was 



Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 1 1 5 

the owner of successful balls, but Aunt Euth had 
taken the precaution to pin a small bow to the 
dress of each player, the bow being of the same 
material as the covering of his balls, so the ques- 
tion of ownership was quickly settled. 

" It'th the nithetht game I wath ever at," de- 
clared little Martha — which made everybody 
laugh. 



BEGGARS' ANAGRAMS 

" Let's play Beggars' Anagrams again ! " pro- 
posed Alice, referring to the game Aunt Ruth had 
suggested the evening before. 

" It sounds good ; what is it ? " And the girls 
and boys that had flocked home from school with 
the Chapins gathered about Alice. 

" I'll run in the house and get some paper and 
pencils," she told them, presently returning with 
the needed articles. 

" It is really just anagrams," explained Carl, 
*' only it is more fun to play it this way. For in- 
stance, I'm a beggar, and I ask you for something 
to eat. You give me a slip of paper with an ana- 
gram written on it, which must be some kind of 
food. If I can guess the word I keep the paper ; 



1 16 Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 

if not, I return it, and you give it to somebody 
else. The one that gets the most paper slips wins." 

" First, we must think up some anagrams to give 
away," said Bertha, and for a few minutes pencils 
were busy. 

After a while many anagram foods were ready 
for distribution. 

Alice began by begging of her brother Carl : 

"Please, sir, will you give me something to 
eat ? " 

He handed her a slip on which he had written, 
" Poet oats," and with a thank-you, she retreated 
to the piazza steps to puzzle it out. 

Isabel Kamsey received " A sannab " from Nor- 
ton Chapin, and Bertha, " Best G. E. Veal " from 
Thomas Hunter. Soon the others were busy with, 
" A red B," " Mice care," " A few R's," " Mlee 
mop," " Oh, yen ! " " Kafut rice," " Spar pins," 
" A few fl's," and " Ore rats." 

Carl Chapin won the game with five kinds of 
food — waflles, fruit cake, lemon pie, honey, and 
ice-cream. 

The rest of the anagrams were found to spell 
potatoes, bananas, vegetables, bread, wafers, pars- 
nips, and carrots. 



Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 1 17 



THE HOLIDAY FAMILY 

The Aubrey children had been shut m with 
diphtheria for — Sylvia thought it must be three 
months, Estelle sighed that it seemed a whole year, 
while Gilbert declared that it was " ages " since 
he had been outdoors. And now to crown their 
discontent, nurse had had to go away, and a new 
attendant was coming that afternoon to take her 
place. 

At two o'clock, into all this complaining and 
groaning and growling, walked, not the white- 
capped young woman whom they dreaded to see, 
but — Aunt Euth ! 

^' 0-oh ! " cried Sylvia. . 

" Why-eee ! " squealed Eveline. 

"When did you come?" questioned Gilbert, 
joyously. 

And the five clustered about their favorite 
auntie who had not been expected for at least a 
fortnight. 

" I thought you'd need me more now than when 
you were well," explained Aunt Euth. 

" Oh, we do ! " the children chorused. 

Then Juliet's face grew serious. " Now you've 



1 18 Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 

been up here with us, they won't let you go down- 
stairs again ! " she said. 

"I didn't come to see the down-stairs folks," 
asserted Aunt Euth, gayly. " I came expressly to 
play with five diphtheria convalescents that I 
heard about." 

At that the Aubrey nursery was more jubilant 
than it had been for weeks. 

" What'll we play first ? " queried Sylvia. 

"I know an interesting card game," re- 
plied Aunt Euth, "if you want to help me 
make it." 

Of course they wanted to, that very minute ; 
but how ? 

Auntie went across the hall into the room that 
was to be hers, and presently came back with an 
armful of old magazines and some empty paste- 
board boxes. 

"The game is to be about a family called — 
what name should you like ? " 

" Holiday," suggested Juliet. 

" All right. It shall be ' The Holiday Family.^ 
Suppose you look through that magazine for a 
good picture of Mr. Holiday, and Sylvia may find 
a pretty wife for him. They must have plenty of 
children, so Eveline can look for the babies, and 



Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 1 19 

name them. Gilbert may hunt for the animals — 
horses, dogs and cats — for they will want pets. 
Estelle can choose the house and furniture, and I 
will select the visitors and the servants." 

" Then what will we do with the pictures ? " 
asked Sylvia. 

" Paste them on cards of the same size, and play 
a game with them." 

" How lovely ! Here's a beautiful wife for Mr. 
Holiday." 

" And here's Mr. Holiday ! " Juliet cried, hold- 
ing up the picture of a fine-looking man. 

Eveline was chuckling over her pretty children 
— ten of them— while Estelle had already discov- 
ered a beauty of a house, and was selecting its 
furniture. 

Gilbert, meantime, was finding plenty of occu- 
pants for the Holiday stables and kennels. 

It was happy work, and when the pictures were 
neatly pasted upon the cards, the children handled 
them with delight. There were more than 
seventy in all, and Aunt Kuth wrote the name 
under each picture, and divided them into classes 
— Mr. and Mrs. Holiday and their children mak- 
ing one class, the house and furniture another, and 
so on. 



1 20 Playtime Gaines for Boys and Girls 

After the cards were shuffled, six were dealt 
to each, and the rest were put in a box to draw 
from. 

Aunt Kuth began by asking Juliet for " Tommy, 
the Persian Cat," because, she said, he belonged to 
the class of which she had the most. 

Juliet hadn't Tommy, so it was her turn. She 
called on Eveline for " Mr. Holiday's Automobile," 
and it was handed over. This gave her another 
call, and from Gilbert she tried to obtain " Eachel 
Holiday's Pony, Cinderella." As he could not 
give it to her, Juliet — because she had gained one 
card — drew another from the pool, and then 
Sylvia's turn came. 

Sylvia had extraordinary luck in securing all of 
the Holiday family excepting the beautiful mother 
of the ten children ; she could not be discovered, 
although each of the five other players was called 
upon as Sylvia had opportunity. 

" She's in the pool," it was concluded ; but soon 
the box was empty, and still the smiling mother 
did not appear. 

" Dear me, I could beat, if I only had her ! " 
mourned the little girl. 

Juliet secured all of the Holiday pets just as 
supper was brought up, and then as the chairs 



Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 121 

were moved about the missing card came to light. 
It had lain hidden under Aunt Euth's skirt. 

" You naughty little mother," scolded Sylvia. 
" You have made me lose the game." 

" Anyway it's just as much fun to play, even if 
you don't beat," observed Gilbert, happily. " I 
shall want to try it again to-morrow." 

" Or something different," smiled Aunt Ruth. 
" A good many games can be played with these 
cards." 

" Oh, what ? " cried Eveline. 

" We might try ' Mrs. Holiday's Party ' next," 
responded Aunt Euth. 

" Oh, we will ! " chorused the five. 



TABOOED INITIALS 

About a week after Aunt Euth said good-bye 
to the Aubreys came the first ice storm of the 
season. The children grew restless soon after 
breakfast. 

" What shall we do all day long ? " whined 
Sylvia. 

" If we were well we could go out and have 
some fun," fretted Gilbert. 

Then mamma appeared in the doorway with a 



1 22 Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 

smiling, " Letter from auntie — and a new game, 
'for the next stormy day,' she says." 

" Oh, and it's the ' next ' right now ! " squealed 
Estelle. 

" Hurrah ! " shouted Gilbert, and " Hurrah ! " 
echoed all the rest. 

The five crowded around mamma, eager to hear 
the letter. 

The game was on the very last page. Aunt 
Euth called it " Tabooed Initials," and the chil- 
dren decided that it sounded " splendid — just like 
auntie." 

Of course they wanted to begin playing it at 
once, and Gilbert was chosen as questioner. 

" Wait a minute ! " cried Eveline. " We must 
answer the question, and use at least four words, 
and not have the initial letter of our first or last 
name in any of them — is that it ? " 

" Yes," answered Juliet ; " and if we do use one 
of our initials it counts us a mark, and the one 
that gets the least marks beats." 

" How do you do this morning ? " asked Gilbert 
of Estelle. 

She thought hard. She must not use a word 
that had E or A in it. She couldn't say she was 
"pretty well," or " in health." 



Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 123 

Finally she answered, "I'm sick this morn- 
ing." 

^' You don't look very sick," giggled Sylvia. 

" And how do you do ? " queried Gilbert, stand- 
ing before Eveline. 

" Oh, dear ! " muttered she. " Here are my 
initials just the same as Estelle's, and I mustn't 
say what she did ! " She puckered her forehead, 
trying to think of some way out. In a minute 
her face lighted. 

" I'm in good condition," she smiled. 

" What did you have for breakfast ? " Gilbert 
asked Sylvia. 

She shook her head over hread and 'butter^ 
oranges^ hananas^ oatmeal^ steak and waffles. Then 
she answered glibly, " Corn-fritters and milk." 

" Two marks ! " cried Gilbert. 

" Fritters and ! " repeated Estelle, laughing. 

" Why-ee ! " mourned Sylvia, " I never 
thought*^! " 

" I don't wonder," said Juliet ; " I dare say I 
shall make a worse mistake. I think it is pretty 
puzzling." 

"When are you going to school?" asked 
Gilbert. 

Juliet thought quickly. Her part was a little 



1 24 Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 

easier than that of the others — J one needs to use 
so seldom. 

" I expect to go in two weeks," she answered. 

On the next round Sylvia took Gilbert's place, 
as that part fell to the one having the most marks. 

" Whom do you like best in all the world ? " 
questioned Sylvia, halting beside Estelle. 

After a moment's thought, " Aunt Euth," she 
answered, " and " 

" Two a's ! " broke in Gilbert. 

" Oh ! why didn't you keep still ? " cried Sylvia. 
" If you'd let her go on, she would probably have 
put in more of 'em ! " and Sylvia chuckled in the 
knowledge that somebody besides herself had 
blundered. 

Estelle ended her answer with the name of a 
schoolmate, Judith Phillips, and then Sylvia 
turned to Eveline. 

" What is your favorite flower ? " 

" I'm fond of crimson tulips," was the answer. 

Gilbert responded to the question, " What are 
you going to do when you grow up ? " with, '' I 
think I will study medicine." 

Juliet said she was "going to embroider 
doilies," and then Estelle began a third round of 
questions. 



Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 125 

In answer to them, Sylvia, who this time had 
her wits about her, said that she should study 
"French, Greek, Hebrew and geometry," when 
she went back to school, which made no end of 
laughter. Eveline testified that " figs " were the 
best of all " fruits," and managed to say it with- 
out a mistake. 

But poor Gilbert calmly announced : 
" I like banjo music better than any other." 
He caught himself up quickly, but it was too 
late. 

" I didn't think about the A ! " he laughed. 
" My mind was all on that G." 

As Juliet responded without a break, Gilbert 
took the part of questioner again, and the game 
went merrily on. 



FLICKSY-TRICKSY 

Aunt Euth had just returned from her visit 
to the Aubreys, and the whole household joyfully 
welcomed her home again. 

" Have you brought home a whole trunkful of 
new games ? " asked Bertha. 

" T have at least one that you will like," Aunt 
Ruth answered. 



1 26 Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 

" Oh, what is it ? " the children begged. 

" Let's have it now," Carl added gayly. 
" There's time before dinner." 

Aunt Euth turned to Norton. " Will you 
please bring me the two packages that are on the 
table in my room ? " she said. " And Bertha or 
Alice may fetch a work-basket." 

" Oh, it's a sewing-bee ! " laughed Carl. 

When Norton and Bertha had brought the 
desired articles, their aunt opened one of the 
packages and displayed a number of squares cut 
from figured lawn. 

" It's a bed-quilt game ! " cried Carl. 

Everybody was carious, while Aunt Euth only 
laughed mysteriously. She distributed the 
squares among them, two to each, with needle and 
thread, instructing them to sew the squares around 
the edges, so as to make little bags or cushions, 
leaving a small space unsewed where the filling 
could be put in. Each bag was to be five inches 
square. 

" Let's see which can finish a bag first," their 
aunt proposed, taking two squares for herself. 

" I told you it was a sewing-bee," Carl said. 

"There's more to it, I know," laughed Alice. 

Bertha's bag was first done, and Aunt Euth 



Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 127 

bade her fetch some old newspapers, and cut them 
into narrow strips for filling. 

All were soon snipping away, until their aunt 
told them they had more than enough. 

" We want to put in only a sufficient quantity 
to give a bag good carrying power," she ex- 
plained. 

" Oh, it's bean-bags ! " cried Carl. 

" Carl has had it a good many things," Aunt 
Kuth quietly observed; ''but he will have to 
guess again." 

How the rest laughed then ! 

At last the bags were all filled, and sewed up. 
Then Aunt Ruth opened her other package, 
toward which so many curious glances had been 
cast. She brought to view a number of flexible 
steel tongs, not quite a foot in length, and each 
pair provided with a spring which when snapped 
made the two ends hold tightly any article. She 
handed them to the children, a pair apiece. 

Exclamations and questions flew fast. " Oh, 
how pretty ! " " What are they for ? " " How 
do we use them ? " " Aren't they cute ? " 

" They are really for kitchen use — the ' handy- 
dandy tongs,' " Aunt Euth explained ; " but these 
are to throw and to catch our bags with. Better 



128 Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 

put away anything liable to get broken ; " and 
the girls ran to shelf and cabinet, removing bric- 
a-brac. 

"I haven't thought out any definite game," 
Aunt Ruth said. 

" Has it a name ? " queried Bertha. 

" I call it ' flicksy-tricksy,' " she answered. 
" Even the best players sometimes do no more 
than to flick the bag," she laughed, " and these 
are tricksy tongs. If you happen to push the 
spring, your bag is held tight." 

So flicksy-tricksy it was. And such a flying of 
bags, and squeals, and shouts, and merry laughter 
as the next half hour knew ! 

Breathless and hungry they filed into the 
dining-room, agreeing that flicksy-tricksy was the 
best game that Aunt Ruth had ever brought 
them. 

BLINDMAN'S PHRENOLOGY 

At Faith Chapin's birthday party Aunt Ruth's 
new game was played, and it created much amuse- 
ment. 

The children were a little chary of taking the 
part of the blind phrenologist, so Faith's Cousin 
Carl offered to act as the first one. When he had 



Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 1 29 

been blindfolded, the others were seated in a circle, 
girls and boys alternately, and warned not to 
speak or laugh. 

Carl was then led a short distance from the 
circle of players, and allowed to make his own 
way to whom he would. 

By aid of the chair backs, he walked around 
until he reached Harrison Miles. Then he halted, 
putting his hands upon the boy's head. 

" This is evidently a young man of about ten 
years," he began. 

As that chanced to be exactly Harrison's age, 
the children listened curiously. 

Carl passed his fingers rapidly over the face, re- 
marking that the features betokened intelligence 
and beauty. After that he felt of the head, from 
forehead to neck, taking note of the thick, fine, 
wavy hair, and saying everything he could think 
of to provoke his subject to laughter. But Harri- 
son was on his guard, and, being naturally a quiet 
boy, had little trouble in keeping still. Carl 
finally, after a good deal of thought, announced his 
name, apparently almost as much to his own sur- 
prise as that of the rest, for Harrison was not so 
very unlike a half-dozen other lads there. 

This success entitled him to another exhibition 



130 Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 

of his powers, and he stopped behind the next 
chair, occupied by his cousin, Grace Chapin. 

Grace was wearing her hair after a new fashion 
that afternoon, and that fact — which Carl had not 
previously observed — put him completely off the 
track. His guess was " Janet Morrow," a girl as 
unlike his cousin as could be, but whose hair hap- 
pened to be braided after the same manner. 

So Grace took his place, and the game went on, 
with an entire change in the seating. 

Those children who failed to guess correctly 
declared that they should take notice as never be- 
fore of all the details of their playmates' features 
and dress, for it was the observing ones that were 
most successful in the role of blind phrenologist. 



PLANTING THE FARM 

A January storm was roaring around the 
Chapin home one evening, when Aunt Kuth re- 
marked : 

" I think I will plant my farm." 

" Mce weather for it ! " said Carl. " A raging 
blizzard, and thermometer at zero ! " 

" It is the finest time for planting this kind of 
farm," said Aunt Euth, smilingly. "My fields 



Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 131 

are all named alphabetically. What should you 
advise me to plant on my A land ? Anybody may 
answer." 

'' Apples ! " cried Carl. 

" You don't plant apples," said Bertha. 

" They plant the seeds. Don't they, Aunt 
Ruth?" 

" Yes, and this is a brand-new farm. I want it 
well stocked. Apples will be all right." 

" Plant some asparagus," said Alice. 

*^ And apricots," added Norton. 

" I was just going to say that," said Bertha. 
" Now I can't think of anything else." 

" Artichokes ! " cried Carl. 

" I think I'll plant some anise," said Aunt Ruth, 
at that moment. 

" Oh, do ! " replied Alice. " Anise candy is so 
nice ! " 

" Well, what shall I have in my B field ? " 

" Beans and beets," answered Bertha. 

" Brussels sprouts," said Carl. 

" And balm, for balm tea," added Aunt Ruth. 
" There isn't much in B. We'll begin on the C 
land." 

" Cabbages, celery, corn ! " cried Alice. 

" Oh, stop I You're getting them all ! Cucum- 



132 Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 

bers, cress, carrots, caraway " and Carl paused 

for breath. 

''Chicory, cauliflower, catnip," raced Alice, 
" and coriander, and " 

" Chervil," put in Carl. 

" What's chervil ? " queried Norton. 

" Oh, something to use in soups and salads,'' an- 
swered Carl. 

" Clover ! " cried Alice. 

" Don't believe there's another one," said Bertha. 

" Currants," said Aunt Euth, quietly. 

They all laughed, while their aunt said she 
thought her C field was full enough, and asked 
for the D's. 

" Dandelion," began Carl. 

" Dewberries," responded Bertha. 

"Dill," said Alice. 

D's seemed to be scarce, so Aunt Kuth pro- 
ceeded. They went on until the S field was 
reached. 

" Squashes. Do have plenty of squashes, so for 
once I can have all the squash pie I want ! " cried 
Norton. 

" Sage," added Bertha. 

" Summer savory," said Alice. 

Nobody spoke for a moment. Then Carl ha- 



Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 133 

stened to say, " I thought I'd wait and see if you'd 
think of it, but it is left for me to propose a big, 
big strawberry bed ! " 

" Oh," they cried, " the idea of our forgetting 
strawberries ! " 

" There are some other beds — up-stairs — that I 
think you have forgotten," said Mrs. Chapin, 
smilingly. 

So, amid much laughing chatter, the remainder 
of the farm planting was postponed until another 
evening. 

ACTING RHYMES 

Alice had been sick with grip and was still too 
weak to sit up much. Aunt Euth came in, and 
found her lying on the couch, looking lonely and 
discouraged. 

" I wish I could get well, so I could play some- 
thing," Alice said, mournfully. 

" Wait a bit," Aunt Kuth answered. " I have 
something in mind." 

She went out and closed the door. 

When she came back she said, " You and I are 
to think of a word that has a good many rhymes. 
Then we will give one of the rhymes to the others. 



134 Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 

and — but you'll see ! I wonder what word will be 
best." 

"'Sweet' has plenty of rhymes," suggested 
Alice. 

" Plenty," agreed her aunt. " Suppose we say 
it rhymes with ' fleet.' " 

Aunt Euth went to the door and called, " Our 
word rhymes with ' fleet.' " 

Then she drew the curtains that separated the 
living-room from the next, and wheeled the couch 
in front of them. 

There was a bustle behind the curtains, and at a 
word Aunt Euth pulled them aside. 

Alice saw two rows of chairs facing one an- 
other, evidently representing a car or omnibus. 
Carl and Norton occupied two, and four dolls the 
rest. When Bertha appeared, looking for a place 
to sit, Carl jumped up, pointing to his chair with a 
great flourish. 

" Oh, ' seat ' ! " cried Alice. 

" No, the word is not ' seat.' " 

The curtains went together, and there was much 
subdued chattering on the other side. 

" This is fun ! " whispered Alice, gleefully. 

The next scene showed a table, around which sat 
the three. They were munching biscuits. 



Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 135 

" It isn't ' eat,' " laughed Alice. 

There were a good many trials before the right 
word was hit upon. Bertha and Carl appeared in 
street clothes, and coming from opposite sides of 
the room met under the chandelier. The next 
scene was similar, only that they shook hands 
cordially. These words were '' meet " and " greet." 
Then Norton turned a somersault for " feat," and 
they all cried " horOray ha-a-a^ hora-a^^^ which stood 
for " bleat." 

They swept and dusted for "neat," and they 
lounged about, fanning vigorously and mopping 
their faces, for " heat." Once when the curtains 
were pushed apart Alice stared at a row of feet. 
They all laughed over this, and then they guessed 
the right word by appearing before the audience 
eating sugar, and their arms around one another's 
necks. 

" We had the best of it — acting," declared Nor- 
ton. 

" I'm not so sure of that," returned Alice. " It 
is fun to wait and wonder what is coming next. 
It is about as nice as tableaux." 



136 Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 

WORDGUESSING 

"Haven't you something new for us, Aunt 
Kuth?" asked Bertha. 

" I'm afraid I am thought out," Aunt Euth said, 
laughing. " Though I believe something did pop 
up into my head the other night. 

"It isn't much of a game," she said, pres- 
ently, " but it may help out some of these rainy 
hours." 

The four drew their chairs nearer, alert to hear 
what Aunt Kuth had to tell. 

" We will begin with the first five letters of the 
alphabet. Alice, Bertha and Carl may as well use 
their initials, and Norton and I will take D and E. 
Alice, you may give us the definition of a word 
whose first or last letter is A. Then we will try 
to guess it." 

" Well," said Alice, " my letter ends something 
I like in puddings and cakes." 

"Sugar!" shouted Norton, and then joined in 
the laugh at his blunder. 

" Yanilla," guessed Carl, which was right. 

" Mine begins something we cannot live with- 
out," said Bertha. 

" Bread ? " ventured Alice. 



Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 137 

" No. Besides, we can live without that." 

" Breakfast ? " asked Norton. 

" No, indeed ! Plenty of people don't eat break- 
fast." 

" Breath," guessed Aunt Ruth, and then it was 
her turn. 

" It ends a precious stone," said Aunt Ruth. 

" Sapphire ! " cried Norton. 

" Right. Now give us a D word." 

" Something I like to eat," said Norton. 

" Dates," guessed Carl. 

" Dumplings ? " asked Aunt Ruth. 

" No," laughed Norton. 

" What can it be ? " wondered Alice. 

The tinkle of a bell in the hallway told them it 
was dinner-time. 

" Let's go out and get it ! " shouted Norton. 

" Oh — dinner ! " they cried. " Why didn't we 
think of that before ? " 



BIBLE INITIALS 

One Sunday afternoon the young people were 
in the library, wishing they had something to do. 
It was too dark to read, and the elder folks were 
up-stairs. 



138 Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 

" Somebody's coming down," spoke up Norton. 
" Let's hope it is Aunt Ruth." 

" Oh, it is ! " cried Alice, as her bright-faced 
auntie peeped around the corner of the door. 

" I have been thinking," she smiled, drawing a 
chair to the hearth, " of a little game that might 
help us in Bible study. It is to see who can give 
the most Bible names that have the same initial 
letter as his own. 

" To begin with we will arrange our seats in 
the order of our initials. Alice can sit over there 
in the reed rocker. Bertha next, in the Morris 
chair, and Carl, ITorton, and I along here. Then 
we shall each need a Bible ; I have mine." 

" I'll fetch the others," offered Carl, and in a 
minute he had returned with them. 

" We had better take a little while to look up 
names that begin with the right initials," said 
Aunt Ruth, " so that we shall not have to hesitate 
when our turns come." 

For a time there was silence, except for a flutter- 
ing of leaves ; then Alice started the game by 
giving, "Abraham." 

Bertha followed with " Boaz," and Carl with 
" C^sar," ISTorton with " Noah," and Aunt Ruth 
with " Rachel." 



Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 1 39 

The next round brought out Adam, Benjamin, 
Cornelius, Naomi, and Eehoboam, and for several 
turns the names were promptly given ; then there 
was flagging on the part of Alice and Norton, and 
finally Norton had to be skipped altogether, and 
Alice was not far behind him. 

Aunt Ruth, Bertha, and Carl were ready with 
name after name, until it seemed as if the three 
would hold out as long as the names lasted. 
Finally Carl failed to think of one in his allotted 
minute, then Bertha scowled and shook her head 
dubiously, and Aunt Ruth had won. 

The written record, which Aunt Ruth had been 
keeping, showed six names credited to Norton, 
seven to Alice, twelve to Carl, thirteen to Bertha, 
and fourteen to the winner herself. 

" I dare say auntie could have kept on forever," 
declared Alice, just as Mr. Chapin appeared in the 
doorway. 

" Learning your Sunday-school lesson ? " he 
asked. 

Bertha explained. 

" Why can't I play ? " he inquired. 

" Oh, do come ! " cried Alice. 

"We'll have another game ! " chorused the others. 

As '' Victor " he was given a seat next to Aunt 



140 Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 

Ruth, and the playing began ; but when his turn 
came he couldn't think of a single name. 

The children thought this was a good joke on 
papa, and were much amused. 

" Perhaps there aren't any beginning with V," 
he said. 

" Why, papa, papa," laughed Alice, " you forget 
Yashti ! " 

" I declare ! " he ejaculated, looking around on 
the smiling faces. ^'Well," he went on, "you 
have a right to laugh ! But this is a good thing ! 
Next Sunday, young people, you won't catch me 
napping ! " 



NAMING THE FLOWER 

" AxjiSTT KuTH, have you thought of any new 
games for Norton's party ? " asked Bertha. 

" One that perhaps will do. It is a little differ- 
ent from any that I ever played." 

"Let's try it now." 

" All right ; it will be a test. You may go out of 
the room, while the rest of us agree upon a flower." 

Bertha came back when summoned, and awaited 
her aunt's directions. 

" You may ask one fair question of each of us, 



Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 141 

but we shall tell you no more than is necessary, 
and in a way to mislead you, if possible." 

" What color is it ? " Bertha asked of Carl. 

" White." 

" Is it large or small ? " 

" Several inches across," answered Aunt Ruth. 

" Is it fragrant ? " 

'' No," replied Norton. 

" Oh, bother ! " scowled Bertha. " I thought it 
must be a rose or a lily." 

" Does it grow in our garden ? " asked Carl. 

" Yes," replied Alice. " I have seen it." 

" Does it have a golden heart, Aunt Ruth ? " 

"No." 

"Then it isn't a daisy," she mused. "Oh, I 
know ! Norton, is it a very fashionable flower 
just now ? " 

" I guess not." 

" Then it can't be a white peony ; besides, those 
are used for wedding decorations. Has it many 
petals?" 

" Millions of them, I believe," said Alice. 

" Dear me, only one question more ! How much 
can you buy a plant for ? " 

" I never heard of a florist's selling one," said 
Mrs. Chapin, laughing. 



142 Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 

" Oh, I believe it's a weed ! Is it a weed ? " 

" That's another question," said Norton. 

" So it is ! Well, you'll have to tell me." She 
looked round expectantly. 

" The wild carrot." 

" Oh, it is a weed ! " 

" But it's a flower, all the same," said Carl. 

" Yes, and a pretty flower," returned Bertha. 
" Why didn't I think of it ? " 



WORD SURGERY 

They had just started the new game when the 
Oakville cousins came in. 

" What are you playing ? " asked Grace. 

" Aunt Euth calls it Word Surgery," laughed 
Alice, " because we cut words in two, and take out 
their hearts, to make other words. It is fun ! " 

" Carl has given one, but we haven't guessed 
it," said Bertha. " You tell it again, Carl." 

" Take the heart out of a little house," began 
Carl, as soon as the newcomers were seated, 
" and leave a well-known Bible character in the 
book of Genesis." 

" I wonder what kind of a little house it is," 
mused Alice. 



Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 143 

" The kind the Southern Negroes live in," Carl 
explained. 

" Oh," cried Faith, " I know — cabin and 
Cain ! " 

" Yes," answered Carl ; " I made that too plain.'' 

Grace sat next, and she waited almost her 
allotted three minutes before she could think of 
a word. Finally she said : 

" Take the heart from any one of us girls, and 
make what I hope we all are." 

" Oh, that's a hard one ! " sighed Bertha. 

" I don't want my heart taken out," giggled 
Alice. " Wouldn't Norton's or Carl's heart do as 
well ? " 

"No," asserted Grace; "they can't be that 
kind of relative." 

At this, Aunt Ruth's face brightened. " Shall 
I give it ? " she asked. " Or do you want to try 
longer ? " 

" Oh, tell it ! " begged Norton. " I never could 
guess." 

" Niece and nice," she responded. 

" Take the heart from a domestic animal," said 
Bertha, " and make a part of our clothing." 

After a little thinking, Carl guessed it — horse 
and hose. 



144 Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 

Walter came next, and gave : 

" Remove the heart from an article of food, and 
leave a laugh." 

" Oh ! " exclaimed Norton, presently, " I do be- 
lieve I've guessed it — how funny ! " and his tone 
was so astonished that everybody laughed. " Isn't 
it grain and grin ? " he asked jubilantly. 

" Didn't you ever guess anything before ? " in- 
quired Walter. 

" I don't very often," confessed Iforton, " and I 
don't see how I came to this time." 

There was considerable scowling over Aunt 
Ruth's definitions. 

" Take the heart from a weapon of war, and 
leave a delicate fabric." 

" This is a poser ! " declared Carl, shaking his 
head. 

" I might add," said Aunt Ruth, " that the 
fabric is often used for the ornamentation of cloth- 
ing. 

Even with that help it took them long to guess 
it. Grace finally was the fortunate one to think of 
lance and lace. 

" Take out the heart of a common piece of furni- 
ture," said Faith, " and leave a story." 

Aunt Ruth guessed that almost at once, because, 



Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 145 

as she said, there are so few synonymous words 
for story. It was table and tale. 

Alice gave chain and chin, and Norton Spain 
and spin, both of which it took considerable time 
to guess. 

Then Walter said they must go home ; but Carl 
begged them to stay until he had given his. 

" It's the dandiest one I've thought of," he de- 
clared. "Take the heart out of a punctuation 
mark, and make an animal." 

The others were still thinking over the various 
punctuation marks, when Aunt Ruth smiled. 

" It is an abbreviated term for the animal, isn't 
it ? " she asked. 

" Oh, now you've gone and guessed it ! " Carl 
cried. " I thought you'd all have to puzzle over 
that for a half -hour at least." 

" The punctuation marks wouldn't hold out so 
long as that," laughed Bertha, who had hit on the 
words. 

" What is it ? " coaxed Faith. " We ought not 
to stay another minute." 

" Colon and 'coon ! " shouted Norton, upon whom 
it had just dawned. 



146 Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 

MAGIC WRITING 

" I WISH we had something new to play this 
evening," sighed Alice. 

" Here comes Aunt Kuth ! " cried Norton. 
u '\;\re're all ready for the new game, auntie/' 

"Nothing doing in my brain to-night," she 
laughed. " I've been writing too many letters to 
have any novel ideas." 

At that moment Dr. Hillhouse was announced. 

" Oh, the doctor'll give us a game ! " exclaimed 
Carl. " Won't you, Dr. Hillhouse ? " 

"I couldn't invent one to save my head," 
the physician returned; "but the other night 
I helped to guess a regular puzzle of a game — 
you've probably played it though — * Magic Writ- 
ing.'" 

"Never heard of it," replied Carl, and the 
others declared a like ignorance. 

" Then there's a feast in store for you," the doc- 
tor responded, " and for me, too," he chuckled, " if 
I prove a good magician. Let me see," he mused, 
looking around the room, and coming back to Carl ; 
" I think I'll choose you to read my writing, and 
as it is somewhat peculiar, I suppose I shall have 
to give you a little instruction." 



Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 147 

The two disappeared behind the closed door, 
while the rest waited. 

Presently Dr. Hillhouse returned alone, carry- 
ing a cane. 

" Magicians do not use pens and pencils, like 
common folks," he laughed. " I like a cane best 
— though a broomstick would answer every bit as 
well. Now, I want you to select some word for 
me to write ; then we will call Carl in and let him 
read it. What do you choose ? " 

'' Talle^'^ suggested Alice. 

" Very well," and the doctor rapped three times 
with his cane. 

In came Carl, smilingly eager. He took his 
place by the side of the writer. 

Dr. Hillhouse began by making numerous 
flourishes over the carpet, which, Aunt Kuth ob- 
served, looked like immense " m's." Then fol- 
lowed some great circles, crossed and recrossed 
with jagged lines. 

" This isn't going to be a very hard word to 
read," remarked the doctor, and then he gave one 
rap with his cane. " Be careful along here, 
though." He went on, tracing a series of strangely- 
shaped characters, and glancing toward Carl. 
" Look sharply at these lines, too," and he made 



148 Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 

numberless circles and zigzags, finally enclosing 
them with a sweep of his cane, and ending with 
two thumps. Then laying the cane across his 
knees, he asked, " Could you read it ? " 

" Yes, sir," Carl answered ; " I think the word 
is table, '^^ 

" Oh, how do you know ? " cried Alice. 

" I want to have that tried again," said Aunt 
Euth. 

"I don't see how he can tell," and Bertha 
scowled thoughtfully, as Carl left the room. 

*' What word will you take this time ? " in- 
quired Dr. Hillhouse. 

" I should like to see you write carpet,^^ an- 
swered Aunt Euth. 

Carl was called in, and the cane flourishes be- 
gan again. 

" Can't you see better from this side ? " asked 
the doctor, and Carl took the offered place. 

Just then the cane gave a thump. 

" That means something," ventured Bertha. 

" But what ? " sighed ISTorton. 

" Eight here, be careful ! " Dr. Hillhouse was 
cautioning Carl. 

Circles, perpendicular lines, and all sorts of 
hieroglyphics were marked by the magician's 



Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 149 

cane ; then there were a number of tiny zig- 
zags. 

" Pay close attention to these," he advised, and 
gave two raps. " That's all," he announced, and 
looked questioningly at Carl. 

" Is it carpet ? " was the answer. 

" How does he do it ? " wondered Alice. 

Aunt Ruth shook her head. " I thought I 
was on the right track ; but I'm all off," she 
confessed. 

" Shall we try it again ? " asked the doctor. 

" Yes ! " " Yes ! " " Yes ! " they chorused, and 
Carl vanished. 

" Might take an easy one this time," suggested 
Dr. Hillhouse. " Eat is good for that." 

" Does Carl know ? " queried Alice, suspiciously. 

"Of my proposition?" laughed the doctor. 
" He hasn't an inkling of it, my young lady." 

The writing was begun this time with two 
thumps of the cane, then came a sweeping, upside- 
down " I," followed by another thump. " That's 
all," declared the physician. 

"It didn't take you long to write that," ob- 
served Mrs. Chapin. 

" The word is ^a^," said Carl quietly. 

Aunt Ruth's eyes were shining. "I'm pretty 



150 Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 

sure on one point," she smiled, " but not quite cer- 
tain about the rest. Will you write another, and 
let me choose ? " 

So Carl was banished a fourth time, and Aunt 
Ruth gave " Facetiousy 

The doctor laughed. "You've guessed it all 
right," he told her. 

" I don't see what makes you think so — just by 
the word," said iJ^orton. 

"Follow me closely on this," Dr. Hillhouse 
charged Carl, as he took his stand. Then he gave 
a rap with his cane. " Consider these lines well," 
and with a bold sweep of his stick he traced some 
confusing hieroglyphics, ending with two thumps. 
" Take care now ! " was the admonition, and he 
rapped three times. After this came more flour- 
ishes, and four raps, a series of great " O's," and 
then five raps. 

" Slow and sure along here ! " remarked the 
doctor, carefully describing indefinable characters, 
both big and little. With a smile he laid aside 
his cane. 

" The word is facetious^'* affirmed Carl. 

Aunt Ruth nodded smilingly. 

" I think I have the secret now," she told them. 
" I'd like to read the next word." 



Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 151 

So she left the room, " story " was chosen, and 
the writing went on, as before. 

Aunt Euth gave the right word, and then as- 
tonished the company by saying : " I read it with 
my eyes shut." 

" Why, how did you know what he wrote ? " 
gasped ^lice. 

She laughed, and the doctor and Carl joined in 
heartily. 

" Oh, tell us — do ! " begged Norton. 

" Yes ; we never can guess it," urged Bertha. 

"WeU," Aunt Euth replied, "all I did was to 
listen." 

"Why-ee!" 

" Oh, is it what he says ? " 

" And those raps ? " 

" But how do you do it ? " 

" Shall I teU them ? " She turned to the doctor. 

He nodded. 

" The vowels, a, e, i, o, u, are represented by 
one, two, three, four and five raps — in order. 
Every consonant is given as the initial letter of a 
sentence." 

"Then the writing doesn't mean anything at 
all ? " squealed Alice. 

" It is only a blind," confessed Dr. Hillhouse. 



1 52 Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 

" Oh, you cheat ! " laughed Mr. Chapin. 
"Yes, I'm a cheat — like all the rest of the 
magicians," agreed the doctor. 

" But it's a lovely game ! " declared Alice. 



GOING INTO BUSINESS 

The Oakdale cousins gave a party one Satur- 
day, and, of course, Aunt Euth and the four 
young Chapins vrere there. Who could entertain 
so well as merry Aunt Kuth ? As soon as there 
was the least halt in games, she was ready with a 
new one. Carl said he believed she lay awake 
nights to make them up and pack them away in 
her brain. However it was, she never failed the 
children. 

" What shall we play next ? " asked Jenny 
Proctor. 

Grace glanced at her aunt. 

"I have a whole street of shops that I want 
to rent," remarked Aunt Ruth, coming forward. 
" Suppose we sit down in a circle and talk things 
over. Perhaps some of you would like to hire 
some of my shops and go into business ; but I will 
tell you, to start with, I am very particular as to 
my tenants and their stock-in-trade." 



Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 1 53 

By this time the children had all seated them- 
selves, and were looking at Aunt Ruth expectantly. 

"Grace," she went on, "do you wish to hire 
one of my shops ? " 

" Certainly I do," answered her niece. 

" What do you think of selling ? " 

" Oh, books, I suppose ; I have always wanted 
to keep a bookstore." 

" I am sorry," said Aunt Ruth, " but I can't let 
you have a shop to sell books in." 

" Why not ? " asked Grace. 

Aunt Ruth only laughed. 

Harry Grant sat next. 

" I want to be a diamond merchant," he said. 

"No, you cannot sell diamonds in a shop of 
mine," replied Aunt Ruth. 

Harry was as mystified as Grace, but the owner 
of the supposed buildings went on to the next. 

Faith thought she should like to sell candy, but 
Aunt Ruth would not rent her a shop. 

Norton wished to deal in furniture, but he was 
not successful in securing a place of business. 

Clara Remington was more fortunate. She 
wanted to sell candy, and, to everybody's surprise, 
Aunt Ruth said that she should be delighted to 
rent her a shop. 



1 54 Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 

" Oh, I know ! " cried Carl ; but he would not 
tell. 

Harrison Miles came next, and he desired to 
stock his shop with hardware, and he, too, was 
promptly engaged as one of Aunt Ruth's tenants. 

" Yes, yes, I know what it is ! " chuckled Carl ; 
and when his turn came he said at once that he 
would sell candy. 

" I cannot rent you a shop for that purpose," re- 
plied Aunt Ruth, her eyes bright with fun. 

" Why — why not ? " gasped Carl, his face all as- 
tonishment. " You let Clara have one for candy, 
and my name begins with C just the same ! I 
thought it must begin with our own initial. I 
supposed I had it sure ! " 

Aunt Ruth only smiled, and Carl was left in the 
dark. 

Walter obtained a shop at once when he said he 
would sell wheels; but when William Brown 
wanted to keep the same kind of stock he was not 
so fortunate. 

It took many of the children a long time to 
guess the secret of the game. Bertha Chapin first 
caught the clue. When she discovered that she 
would be allowed to keep a bakery, but not to sell 
bread, she made up her mind that one's stock-in- 



Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 155 

trade must begin with the initial of one's Christian 
name, and also contain the same number of letters 
— which was correct. But as she only whispered 
her conclusion to Aunt Euth, the game was con- 
tinued much longer, to the great perplexity of the 
others. 



ROSETTA POPE'S SCHOOL 

'^ "What are you doing ? " 

It was Eosetta's uncle who asked the question. 

Eosetta looked up with a little laugh. 

" I'm playing school," she said. 

Uncle Leonard came near, and gazed at her row of 
pupils, first in wonder, then with an amused smile. 

" You have some very famous scholars," he ob- 
served. 

A dozen or more cards were ranged on chairs 
before her, and each card pictured the face of a 
man or a woman prominent in literature. 

" Is Tennyson at the head or the foot of the 
class ? " he inquired, his eyes twinkling. 

"Oh, at the head!" Eosetta answered. "I 
don't know what other people think, but I rank 
them first just as I like them, and then if they 
don't recite well they have to go down." 



156 Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 

" Pray what do they recite ? " her uncle asked. 
" Spelling and geography ? " 

" Of course not ! They recite from their own 
works — here are the lessons ! " and she laid her 
hand on a big pile of books at her right. 

'• Do you admit visitors ? " 

'' Oh, yes, sir ! Mamma often comes in. That's 
the visitor's seat," pointing to a great arm- 
chair. 

So from the other side of the room Uncle 
Leonard watched the small teacher and her re- 
nowned scholars. 

"Lord Tennyson will please recite his New 
Year's poem, beginning : 

^^ ' Eing out, wild bells, to the wild sky.^ '^ 

Whereupon Rosetta selected a book from the 
pile, and keeping her finger in the place, recited 
the lines with very little hesitation. 

" Well done ! " praised her uncle. 

" Thank you," said Rosetta, blushing. 

The next card bore the face of Alexander Pope, 
and the teacher said : 

" Mr. Pope, you may recite two lines from your 
' Essay on Man,' " and again Rosetta spoke for her 
pupil : 



Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 1 57 

'' ^ Honor and shame from no condition rise ; 
Act well your part, there all the honor lies.' " 

Then she turned to her uncle with a smile. " I 
can't understand much of his," she explained ; 
" but seeing our names are the same, I thought I'd 
have to put him in somewhere, and he's learned 
those lines so well, he stays up near the head." 

Uncle Leonard burst out laughing, but was 
checked by Rosetta's warning finger. 

" Mr. Cowper, please give us the first and last 
verses of ' John Gilpin.' " 

Eosetta began bravely enough : 

^^ ' John Gilpin was a citizen 
Of credit and renown ; 



Silently she puckered her forehead, an then 
said, in a voice supposed to be stern : 

" Mr. Cowper, you may go to the foot ! " adding 
to her uncle, " I never can remember that, but I like 
it." 

" And how often do you have this sort of thing? " 
asked Uncle Leonard. 

" Oh, whenever I get lonesome ! Aunt Ruth 
told me about it when she was here last spring, 
and I've had lots of fun playing it. I guess I'd 



158 Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 

rather hear you talk now," and sweeping her 
famous pupils into a pack she tossed them 
on the table. "Tell me about Cousin Maud, 
please ! " 

" One thing about her is that she is lonely most 
of the time, we live so far from neighbors. I 
think I'll buy her a set of ' Authors ^ on my way 
home, so that she can have a school like yours. 
It is a capital idea." 

" Oh, do ! " cried Eosetta. " But I didn't buy 
mine — Aunt Kuth and I made them. She said a 
set you made yourself was more fun than what 
you go to the store and get, and then you can 
have just the ones you want, and keep adding to 
them all the time." 

" So you made all these ? " queried Uncle Leon- 
ard, reaching out a hand for one of the cards. 

" Aunt Euth and I," nodded Eosetta. " Mamma 
likes it, because she says it teaches me so much." 

" I should say so ! I shall have to coach Maud 
at first; she doesn't know one author from 
another." 

" jN'either did I till I learned," said Eosetta. 



Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 159 

LITTLE BETTY BLUE 

It was Saturday. The Oakdale cousins had 
come over for the day, having planned to go for a 
trolley ride to New Haven with Aunt Ruth and 
the four young people — and now it was raining ! 

Faces were long when Aunt Euth came down- 
stairs. 

" We can't go ! " cried Alice, from her seat on 
the step. 

"It looks as if it were going to pour for a 
week," announced Bertha from the window. 

" Isn't it a shame ? " grumbled Carl. 

But Aunt Euth said : 

" Let's play Little Betty Blue ! " 

" Who is she ? " asked Norton. " I never heard 
of her." 

" Come and sit down, and I'll tell you," Aunt 
Euth laughed. "It goes this way. I say to 
Grace : 

^^^ Little Betty Blue, 
Tell me true, 
Where have you been to-day ! ' 

Grace must complete the lines with her answer. 
For instance, she might say : 



l6o Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 

^^ ^ I have been to Spain 
In spite of the rain, 
And that's where Tve been to-day.' '' 

" Only I never should have thought of it," said 
Grace. 

"You'll find it easy after you get started," 
Aunt Kuth replied. "Carl is used to rhyming. 
Ill begin with him. We say to a boy : 

" ^ Little Bennie Blue, 
Tell me true, 
Where have you been to-day ? ' " 

The boy hesitated but a moment, and then 
answered : 

^' I have been to school, 
So I won't be a fool, 
And that's where I've been to-day." 

Alice came next, and she said that she had 

^* been to New York, 
To buy a new fork." 

Bertha had 

'^been for a ride 
With Molly McBride." 

Grace had 

^' been to the bay. 
Where the big ships stay." 



Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 161 

" It isn't nice," she added, " but I'll think of a 
better one by the next time around." 

" Wish I had as good," said Norton. " Please 
skip me, Aunt Ruth. I'll have it ready for the 
second round." 

" No," laughed Aunt Ruth. " I'll wait." 

" You'll laugh," he said ; " but if I must, I will," 
and he drawled out : 

*^ I've been to the torrid zone 
All — alone, 
And that's where I've been to-day ! " 

They did laugh ; but when Aunt Ruth said 
there wouldn't be much fun in it if they were all 
poets, Norton brightened up again. 

The end of the line was soon reached, and no- 
body had actually failed. But how the faces took 
on astonishment, as Carl was asked a new ques- 
tion at the end of the now familiar rhyme. This 
was the second-round query : 

'' Little Benuie Blue, 
Tell me true, 
What have you learned to-day? " 

The surprise, however, was quickly followed by 
merriment, for Carl answered in a flash : 



l62 Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 

'^ I have learned to believe 
That Aunt Euth can deceive, 
And that's what Tve learned to-day. ^^ 

Alice said she had 

' ' learned to work, 
And never to shirk, ^' 

and so on to Walter, the last. 

With his answer, all turned expectantly to Aunt 
Euth. 

Her smiling response was : 

'^ Little Bennie Blue, 
Tell me true, 
What did you have for dinner 1^' 

*^ I had a potato 
And big, red tomato. 
And that's what I had for dinner,'* 

answered Carl, while the others ran their minds 
rapidly over eatables, in search of rhymes. 

So the fun went on until luncheon was served, 
and all agreed that " Little Betty Blue " was a 
good wit-sharpener. 



Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 163 

AUNT RUTH'S BRIDAL BOUQUET 

The flower girls and the pages at Aunt Kuth's 
wedding numbered just twenty— such a pretty 
troop of nieces and nephews. 

Four of them — the four that had always lived 
under the same roof with her — could not help feel- 
ing a wee bit sorrowful, even on this day of days, 
whenever they had time to think about it, for the 
idea of waking in the morning and of going to bed 
at night, with their beloved aunt away over at the 
other side of the town, made them shake their 
heads dolefully right in the midst of the merri- 
ment. But this occurred only once in a while ; 
most of the time gay festivity reigned. 

Everything went happily, from the grand bridal 
march — which began at the north end of the 
spacious hallway, and stopped in the big drawing- 
room, where the beautiful bell of white roses did 
all but ring — to the very last dish of ice-cream 
served at the luncheon table. Then it was that 
Carl Chapin had his bold, astonishing thought. 

The bride was talking with the youngest of 
her party, when Carl whispered something in her 
ear. 

" Why, of course I can't, you funny boy ! " she 



1 64 Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 

laughed. "I must go up-stairs and change my 
dress before many minutes." 

^' But it won't take you any time at all to think 
up one," insisted the unabashed Carl. " You said 
you would divide your bouquet among us, and if 
you'd make a game of it 'twould be great fun. 
Now we'll keep everybody away for three min- 
utes, and you just think hard — I know you'll do 
it ! " he cried gayly, as he danced off to make good 
his promise. 

He was back inside of the specified time, and, of 
course, Aunt Euth was ready. When did she ever 
fail the children ? 

She held up a spray of orange blossoms to the 
eager, smiling group. 

" I name this," she said, " for one of the best- 
beloved of queens, who began her reign at eighteen, 
long before any of you were born, and who ended 
it only a few years ago." 

" Queen Victoria ! " cried Bertha Chapin ; and 
the flowers were hers. 

Taking another spray from her bouquet. Aunt 
Ruth went on : 

" This I name for a famous American woman, 
who wrote books that you all read and love." 

" Miss Alcott ! " responded Faith Chapin. 



Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 165 

Her aunt nodded, handing her the blossoms. 

" I name these for a noble English woman who 
earned the title of ' the soldiers' friend,' on ac- 
count of her services as a nurse during the 
Crimean War." 

" I think it is Florence Nightingale," said Juliet 
Aubrey, and then she was smiling her thanks for 
the fragrant flowers. 

" These are for a great poet who, somewhat late 
in life, was created a lord by the queen for whom 
Bertha's blossoms are named." 

"Lord Tennyson," quickly responded Rosetta 
Pope. 

"My, how bright you all are ! " laughed Carl 
Chapin. " I can't think quick enough. Do giYe 
me a chance, auntie ! " 

" This I will name," she smiled, looking straight 
at Carl, "for a famous American, colonel. Presi- 
dent, hunter " 

" Oh, Colonel Roosevelt ! " cried Carl, stepping 
forward to receive the flowers. 

Just here came a call for " Mrs. Hillhouse," and 
she handed the rest of her bouquet to Carl, saying 
that she would authorize him to go on with the 
game and distribute the blossoms. 

" Oh, but wait one minute, please ! " he cried. 



i66 Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 

" You'll have time to get yourself into your travel- 
ing toggery. 

" I name this," he went on, to the others, hold- 
ing up an exquisite spray, " for the sweetest, 
dearest lady in all the land, to whom we must 
soon say good-bye ! " 

" Aunt Euth ! Aunt Kuth ! " they chorused. 

And there were plenty of flowers to go 
around. 



GEOGRAPHICAL PANTOMIMES 

Bertha shut Aunt Euth's newest card album, 
to hear Alice asking for a game. 

" Yes," answered Mrs. Hillhouse, " I thought of 
one yesterday that I believe you will like. It will 
help along geography lessons, too." 

" Then I can't ever beat ! " mourned Alice. " If 
it hadn't been for geography, my report this week 
would have been away up in the nineties ; but I 
couldn't remember all those capital cities of 
Europe." 

" This is just the thing, then, for you," her aunt 
laughed. " We'll begin at once." 

" Come, boys ! " called Bertha. " Auntie has a 
new game for us." 



Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 167 

" What is it ? " begged Carl, jumping up from 
the piano, while Norton hastily put the box of 
photographs in its place. 

" We may as well call it Geographical Pan- 
tomimes," Mrs. Hillhouse replied. " There really 
ought to be more players, but this will give you 
an idea of it. Carl, you may represent Switzer- 
land, and Bertha, Italy. Alice can look out for 
Spain, and Norton for England. I will tell you 
something of my travels, but I shall mention the 
name of no country. When I speak of a town 
or mountain or lake or canton or county, you 
must guess — if you do not know — where it is 
located ; and, if you think it is within your pre- 
cincts, you are to respond with a pantomimic 
action to accord with what I say. For instance, 
if I should be speaking of the delicious coffee 
that I drank while I was in Mocha, whoever rep- 
resented the country of Arabia would be expected 
to lift an imaginary cup to his lips." 

" Oh, won't that be fun ! " cried Carl. " But, 
dear me ! I'm afraid I don't know much about 
Switzerland ! " 

"You will learn," smiled Aunt Kuth. "All 
ready ? Now, be on your guard ! 

" One of my first purchases in the Old World," 



i68 Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 

she began, " was in Leicester ; here I bought 
some line worsted stockings at one of the mills 
there." 

" I guess that's in England," muttered Norton, 
with a doubtful glance at his aunt ; but, getting 
no help from her, he ventured to pull on an im- 
aginary stocking, and was rewarded by a smiling, 
" Very good, indeed ! " 

"My experience in Yenice," Mrs. Hillhouse 
went on, " was very pleasant, beginning with a 
ride in a gondola, and ending with a visit to the 
cathedral of St. Mark's." 

" Oh, my ! " gasped Bertha, under her breath. 
Then she jumped up, and, stepping daintily upon 
a hassock, she proceeded to sit down upon it, to 
the amusement of the others. Her pretended sail 
came quickly to an end, and she stepped from her 
imaginary boat, to gaze up at the ceiling in ap- 
parent wonder and admiration. 

" First rate ! " commented Aunt Euth, while 
the rest clapped their hands in praise of her real- 
istic pantomime. 

" I had always wished to climb the Matter- 
horn," Mrs. Hillhouse continued, " so one morning 
I started from Breuil, with a party of friends and 
several guides. But we had not gone far before 



Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 169 

a storm was threatened, and we thought it unsafe 
to proceed. That ended my mountain adven- 
ture." 

Before his aunt had finished speaking, Carl was 
on his feet, and, as soon as she stopped, he climbed 
over several chairs, stopped, looked around, quite 
as if scanning the sky, and finally, with a droll, 
downcast expression, ran half-way across the room 
and dropped into a seat. 

By this time the children were in great glee, 
and it was some minutes before they were quiet 
enough for the traveler to go on. 

" At Gruyere," she said, " I ate some of the 
fine cheese of the same name, which has made 
the little town famous throughout the world." 

" I never heard of it," muttered Norton, while 
the brothers and sisters looked doubtfully at one 
another. 

" I guess it's yours," Carl decided at last, nod- 
ding toward Bertha. 

But Aunt Euth shook her head, as Bertha pre- 
tended to eat cheese. 

" Gruyere is not in Italy," she told them. 

" Then it's in Spain," asserted Carl ; whereupon 
Alice at once began to nibble at her fingers. 

" Wrong again ! " laughed Aunt Ruth. 



lyo Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 

" JSTow, Carl Chapin, you made me miss ! '^ 
mourned his sister, while Norton declared : 

" I do believe it's in your own country, Carl, 
for it doesn't sound one bit English-y." 

And Carl's pantomimic action proved that 
Norton was right. 

" My ! but you can learn lots at this game ! " 
cried Carl, and then hushed his voice to hear 
what his aunt had to say next. 

'• While I was at Malaga," she resumed, " I had 
the privilege of picking and eating some Muscatel 
grapes — the kind that are said to make the best 
raisins in the world." 

Alice puckered her forehead, trying to deter- 
mine whether Malaga were in Spain or not ; and, 
as the others were quiet, she began to give them 
an exhibition of her powers as a pantomimist by 
reaching for imaginary bunches on imaginary 
vines, and then eating the fruit and smacking her 
lips. 

"At Madrid," Mrs. Hillhouse continued, "I 
saw King Alphonso and Queen Yictoria, the 
granddaughter of the late English queen." 

This time Alice was sure, so she acted her part 
by waving her handkerchief to the supposed royal 
party. 



Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 171 

Aunt Kuth next told of visiting the cotton mills 
of Manchester, and seeing them weave cloth, of 
watching a sheep-shearing on the Surrey downs, 
of buying a watch at Geneva and a wood carving 
at Lucerne ; she recalled the eating of ripe olives 
at Carmona, Parmesan cheese at Parma, and 
macaroni at Naples ; she spoke of the potteries 
of Leghorn and the art treasures of Rome ; and 
she finally described a concert which she attended 
at Cremona, where she heard a famous musician 
play upon a rare old violin. 

The children looked at one another, and silently 
shook their heads. None of them knew where 
Cremona was — they couldn't even guess. So 
Aunt Ruth had to tell them about the city of 
Italy which, in the seventeenth and eighteenth 
centuries, became famous for the violins that were 
made there. 

" Oh, I wish I had guessed it ! " cried Bertha. 
" It would be fun to play on even an imaginary 
violin ! " And, in the midst of much merriment, 
she began the pantomime she had missed, the 
other children joining in with imaginary instru- 
ments. 



172 Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 

A STONY ALPHABET 

" Oh, what a pretty pin ! " exclaimed Alice 
Chapin, as her aunt came out on the veranda to 
greet her nephews and nieces. 

The others admired the new ornament, while 
Bertha asked : 

" What kind of stone is it ? I never saw one 
like it." 

" Lapis lazuli," answered Mrs. Hillhouse. " The 
doctor brought it home to me last night." 

"Dear me," responded Bertha, " how many kinds 
of stones there are ! I wish I knew them all." 

" Let's make a list ! " proposed Carl. 

" And see who can think of the most ? " queried 
Alice. 

" Oh, yes, let's take the alphabet right through ! " 
spoke up Norton. 

" Guess you wouldn't find any in some of the 
letters," laughed Carl ; " but we can try it." 

"I'll start with agate," said Bertha. 

" Amethyst ! " cried Carl. " Auntie, will you 
write them down ? " 

Alice fetched a pad and pencil, and the sport 
began in earnest. 

Nobody could think of any more beginning with 



Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 173 

a, so they proceeded to the b's, Norton giving 
beryl, and Bertha bloodstone. 

Aunt Ruth led off the c's with carbuncle. 

Carl gave chalcedony, and Norton carnelian. 
Aunt Ruth added chrysoberyl, and then asked for 
the d's. 

" Diamond ! " shouted the four almost together. 

E brought out only emerald, and nobody sug- 
gested anything for f until Bertha asked : 

"Would fire opal do?" 

"Yes," answered Mrs. Hillhouse, "and fluor- 
spar. That is a mineral of beautiful colors." 

Alice gave garnet, and Aunt Ruth filled out 
the h with hyacinth. 

They puzzled over i; but finally their aunt 
thought of irite, which she said was a black, 
shining mineral. 

Jet and jasper began and ended the j's, and 
then there was a long pause. 

" What shall we have for k ? " queried Carl. 

Norton ran to the dictionary, and came back 
with three unfamiliar words, kakoxine, kerargy- 
rite, and kyanite, which Mrs. Hillhouse laughingly 
allowed to pass. 

Lapis lazuli and ligure were the only ones given 
for 1, and marble and moonstone stood for m. 



174 Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 

After scowling over a possible stone for n, 
Bertha consulted the dictionary, and found neph- 
rite and natrolite, which were put down on Aunt 
Ruth's list. 

Onyx and opal, pycnite (a variety of topaz), 
quartz, and ruby followed. 

Carl gave sardius, which Aunt Euth wrote 
down, although she said it was supposed to be 
the carnelian. Norton added sapphire, and Bertha 
sardonyx, and then Carl and Alice gave topaz and 
tourmaline. 

IT sent Carl to the dictionary, and he came 
back with uwarowite, which he reported to be a 
green variety of garnet, named in honor of a 
Russian gentleman. 

Yariscite, an apple-green mineral, was discov- 
ered among the v's, and the children gayly took 
turns in hunting for the others — wavelite, xan- 
thite, xanthocone, xylotile, ytrocerite, zinc-blende, 
and zincite, all of them minerals of various colors. 

THE MAGNETIZED CANE 

"Have any of you ever seen a magnetized 
cane," asked Dr. Hillhouse, "a cane that will 
stand alone ? " 



4 



Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 175 

" Never," chorused the four. 

" Will it really ? " queried Carl. 

" I have often made one stand," the doctor an- 
svrered, "and I think I can again. I'll get my 
cane." 

He did not return at once, as the children had 
expected, and his wife went in search of him. 

" Dear me ! I'll have to go after them both, if 
they don't come pretty soon," laughed Alice, as 
the moments passed. 

Then the two appeared, the doctor carrying his 
cane. Sitting down opposite the little group, he 
proceeded to manipulate the walking-stick in a 
most peculiar way, rolling it between his palms, 
and then rubbing it with his hands from end to 
end, trying it every little while to see if it would 
stand. 

" What do you do that for ? " inquired Norton. 

" I want to get all the magnetism in it that I 
can," Dr. Hillhouse replied, rubbing the harder. 

" It doesn't seem as if it ever could stand by 
itself," doubted Carl. 

" You just wait — there ! " exulted the physician. 

The cane actually stood up straight, and not a 
finger touched it. 

The children's eyes grew big with astonishment. 



176 Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 

'^That's great," admired Norton. "S'pose I 
could do it?" 

" You can try," and the cane was handed over. 

But all Norton's rubbing and whirling was in 
vain, for the stick toppled or fell flat every time. 

" Pshaw ! it's no use," cried Norton, in a tone 
of disappointment. 

" You can learn some time," the doctor replied. 
" Watch me closely now. I'll do it again." 

This time the cane more quickly obeyed the 
directions of its master, to the further mystifica- 
tion of the young folks. 

" Oh, is it a trick ? " cried Carl. " I thought for 
sure it must be magnetism." 

For answer the physician stood the cane again^ 
without any preliminary rubbing or whirling. 

" Pass your hand down the stick," he bade, and 
you will " 

" Oh ! " chuckled Carl. 

" What is it ? " and Norton's hand followed his 
brother's. 

"Why, what ? " came eagerly from the two girls. 

" Just a thread — a black thread ! " exclaimed 
Carl. 

" Who'd have thought it ? " laughed Bertha. 

" That's what kept me so long," explained the 



Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 177 

doctor. '' I wasn't used to sewing, and I couldn't 
thread my needle. Your aunt came just in the 
nick of time." 

" You just sew it on your trousers, and they 
have to be dark, don't they, or it would show." 

" Yes," replied Aunt Euth. " I sewed it on the 
inside of each knee, making it just long enough to 
allow his walking easily." 

" And then, you see," went on the doctor, " it is 
a simple matter to balance the cane, if you put it 
in the right place. But you must drop it inside 
the thread so quickly as not to excite suspicion." 

" Then I wasn't so stupid after all," laughed 
Norton. " I didn't see why I couldn't do it." 

And the next evening the boys had great fun 
sewing threads on each other's trousers, and in 
turn magnetizing a cane, to the mystification of 
their playmates. 

A SPELLING GAME 

" What's the trouble ? " asked Aunt Ruth, as 
her four nieces and nephews sat toasting their toes 
in front of her grate. 

" How did you know anything was ? " queried 
Alice. 



lyS Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 

" It's our miserable reports," answered Bertha. 

"I thought it must be something hopeless," 
smiled Mrs. Hillhouse. "I'm glad it is only 
reports." 

"Only!" echoed Norton. "You'll think it's 
hopeless enough when you know how I stood." 

" And I'm even lower than you," sighed Bertha. 
" I wish there wasn't any such thing in the world 
as spelling." 

" Oh ! spelling, is it ? That is better than if it 
were some things." 

" But, Aunt Kuth, just think ! I'm only thirty ! " 
And Bertha's forehead puckered mournfully. 

" Oh, cheer up ! " laughed her aunt. " There's 
another week coming." 

" And another report ! " groaned Norton. 

" But you can make the next one better. Spell- 
ing isn't so hard but that it can be learned." 

" I don't know," doubted Bertha. 

" I know," declared Aunt Ruth. " I was think- 
ing of a game, the other day, that ought to make 
easy work of your spelling lessons." 

" Oh, if it only w^ould ! " cried Norton. 

" I'd play it every day, straight along," agreed 
Bertha. 

" Do tell us what it is ! " begged Alice. 



Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 179 

" All right ; now is a good time," and Mrs. Hill- 
house began to clear the library table. " I think 
the box of anagram letters is over in the corner 
bookcase cupboard, Carl. Will you get it, please ? 
We would play it without them, but they will 
make it more interesting." 

The boys and girls gathered around the table, 
while the letters were put in a pile where all could 
reach them. 

" Suppose you begin, Bertha, by giving us one 
of the hardest words to spell that you can think 
of — one in common use. Then we will each make 
it with the letters, but nobody must look to see 
how his neighbor is spelling it." 

" 111 give frolicking^'' said Bertha ; " that is a 
word I missed on the other day." 

For a while each was busy with his letters, and 
when all the words were completed Bertha began 
the round by spelling hers. 

Alice's had no c, and Norton's missed the k ; so 
Aunt Kuth told them to throw their letters back 
into the pool, as none but correct words could 
stand. 

Carl gave singeing ; but nobody save Aunt 
Kuth and himself spelled it with the e. 

" Yours is singing," said Carl. 



i8o Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 

"So it is," acknowledged Bertha; "I didn't 
think of that. Well, I don't believe I shall ever 
miss that word again." 

Alice came next, and gave inarshmallow^ which 
all but Norton spelled correctly. He substituted 
a c for the s. 

Norton's word was governor, and to his amuse- 
ment his brothers and sisters screwed their faces 
into all sorts of puckers while trying to decide 
which letters to draw. 

" I shouldn't know it myself," laughed Norton, 
"only the teacher made me write it over two 
dozen times one day." 

When it was read, nobody else, excepting Aunt 
Euth, had it right. 

Wednesday was Aunt Euth's word, and Bertha 
and Norton spelled it without the first d. 

Bertha's separate had to be thrown off from 
every list except Aunt Euth's, including even her 
own. 

" I thought I knew that," she fretted, ruefully 
eyeing the e that should have been an a. 

Alice gave neighborhood^ which caught her two 
brothers, and Norton's stvfficient was spelled cor- 
rectly by only Aunt Euth and Carl. 

" Not much need of auntie's playing this game," 



Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 18 1 

commented Alice, looking wistfully at the longest 
list of all. 

" Oh, I'm not infallible ! " she told them, and 
then gave out the word 'benefited, 

When it was read Carl had only one t, though 
all the others had spelled it with two. 

" Why, I thought I was sure of that ! " he ex- 
claimed. " I missed it at school only a few weeks 
ago." 

^^ Perhaps you are right," his aunt said. " Run 
over to the dictionary and find out." 

His face brightened as he bent over the page. 
" I am ! " he cried. " But it's so queer that you 
shouldn't have it," he went on, " unless — un- 
less " 

"No, I didn't spell it wrong purposely," she 
laughed. " Probably this isn't the first time I've 
put in an extra t. But," she added grimly, " it 
will be the last." 

" Well, this is a capital game ! " Carl burst out 
emphatically. " We sha'n't have time for another 
before we go home ; but I want to take a good 
long look at the rest of that list of yours, so I can't 
forget." 

" That is one of the best ways of learning to 
spell," responded Aunt Ruth. " Look at a word 



i82 Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 

until you can see it with your eyes shut, and then 
you will be so familiar with its rightful appear- 
ance that you will not be very apt to give it a 
wrong spelling." 

" I shall be doing that all the time now," laughed 
Carl, " and I'm going to hunt up some extra hard 
words to pose you all with." 



THE MEMORY TEST 

"I WANT to tell you what a funny mis- 
take Bertha made this morning," began Alice. 
"She- — " 

" We're going to have Norah wash our clothes 
with lemons after this," chuckled Carl. 

" No, let me tell it ! " begged Alice. " Mamma 
sent her to the grocery for half a dozen bars of 
Lemman's soap, and she came home with a bag of 
lemons ! " 

"Well," apologized Bertha, laughing, "there 
were ever so many other little things I had to re- 
member. I knew it was something that sounded 
like lemons, and I couldn't think of anything 
else." 

" I left out the matches altogether, the last time 
I went," confessed Norton. "If mamma'd only 



Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 183 

give us a list ! But she won't. She says we must 
learn to remember." 

" Wise mother," commented Aunt Euth. " Bet- 
ter a few unimportant mistakes now than an un- 
trained memory. And this puts me in mind of a 
game I thought of a day or two ago — something 
to help train the memory." 

" Oh, I'd like that ! " cried Bertha. 

" Can't we have it now ? " asked Carl. 

Mrs. Hillhouse fetched writing materials from 
her desk, and when the four were supplied with 
paper and pencils, she bade them each write a 
sentence containing just twenty-five words. 

" You may make it as hard to remember as you 
choose," she added ; which caused the writers to 
spend considerable time upon their brief composi- 
tions. 

When they were completed. Aunt Kuth looked 
them over, and said that she would read aloud 
each of them in turn, and the three to whom it 
was unknown were to remember as much of it as 
possible. 

Bertha's was the first. She had written : 

" ' Mother sent me to the drug-store for a tooth- 
brush, a box of toilet soap, a bottle of cologne, 
and a card case of Russia leather.' " 



184 Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 

" Ho, I could say that ! " laughed Carl. 

" Try it," responded his aunt. 

" Mother sent me to the drug-store to get a box 
of toilet soap, a bottle of cologne, and a Eussia 
leather card case." 

The rest were laughing, as he finished. 

" What's the matter now ? " he demanded 
" Didn't I say it all right, Aunt Kuth ? " 

" Not exactly," she smiled. " One article was 
omitted." 

" I don't see what," he mused, blankly. 

" Tooth-brush," chuckled Alice. 

" Bother ! " ejaculated her brother. " I thought 
I had 'em that time, sure." 

But when it came Alice's turn Carl had his 
chance to laugh, for she left out the box of soap. 

" Now we'll try the next one," said Mrs. Hill- 
house. 

It was Carl's. Aunt Euth read it slowly : 

" ' Last Saturday morning I went over to 
Cousin Eunice Vincent's, but found Mabel sick 
with scarlet fever ; so I hurried away as fast as 
possible.' " 

The substance of this was well remembered, al- 
though Norton and Bertha blundered on the 
names. 



Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 185 

The third was Norton's, and read : 

" I have just returned from a visit to Aunt 
Gertrude, and though I had a fine time, I am 
very glad to be home again." 

This proved to be the easiest of all, Carl and 
Alice repeating it almost word for word, and 
Bertha being not far out of the way. 

"Now put on your thinking caps," counseled 
Aunt Kuth, as she took up the sentence Alice had 
written. 

" ' Jessie Hunter gave a birthday party,' " she 
read, " ' and invited six little girls, named Vida 
Trumbull, Ethel Hope, Jane Calhoun, Beth Hop- 
kins, Coralie Thomas and Mildred Jennings.' " 

" Whew ! " sighed Carl. " Let me try that first 
and be done with it." 

" Go ahead ! " the others cried. 

" Jessie Trumbull," he began, "gave a birthday 
party, and invited six girls, named Ethel Hopkins, 
Vida Something, Coralie Somethiiigelse, Jennie 
Idon'tknowwhat, and — and — two more ! " 

As soon as the laugh was over. Bertha tried, but 
succeeded only a little better than Carl. Norton 
recollected four of the names, but not in order ; 
the rest he had to give up. 

" Well," laughed Carl, " we haven't any of us 



i86 Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 

much to brag of in the way of a memory. I don't 
believe Alice can say her own piece now, and say 
it straight." 

" Why, of course I can ! " his sister protested. 

" Try it then," he returned. 

"Jessie Hunter gave a birthday party," she 

began, ''and invited six little girls, named '' 

she stopped, and shook her head laughingly. 

" I don't think any of them went," put in Carl ; 
" perhaps they didn't get their invitations." 

" Oh, you make me forget everything ! " com- 
plained Alice. " I can't think of a single name ! " 

"Well," Carl declared, "I think we'd better 
plaj^ this every day till we can repeat one hun- 
dred words, first time hearing, right off, without 
a mistake." 



ENTERTAINING JOINERY 

De. Hillhouse came in just as the children 
were winding up a word game. 

" Here is something for you to guess," he said. 
" Join a well-known animal to a toilet article by 
means of the letter ' a,' and make a subterranean 
burying-place." 

The four thought and thought; they screwed 



Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 187 

up their foreheads and twisted their lips ; finally 
Carl's eyes shone with the joy of discovery. 

" Is it catacomb ? " he asked. 

The physician gave his smiling assent. 

" Oh, that's good ! " cried Bertha. " Can't we 
have another, please ? " 

" Yes, here's one, although the word of the sec- 
ond definition is not pronounced as it is when it 
serves as the last syllable of the whole ; but the 
spelling is the same. Join an article worn by 
men and boys and old ladies to something we all 
like to eat, using the first letter of the alphabet, 
and make from head to foot." 

This kept them quiet for a good while. Even 
Mrs. Hillhouse looked puzzled. 

Presently Norton ran over to the dictionary, 
and returned with an eager face. " Shall I tell ? " 
he asked. 

"You don't mean you've really guessed it?" 
exclaimed Carl. 

His brother nodded. 

" Give me a moment longer," Carl begged ; but 
even two minutes did not bring him the word, 
and Norton gave it. 

" Cap-a-pie." 

The children wanted another, but the doctor 



i88 Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 

had not thought of one when the telephone called 
him, and they waited impatiently for his return. 

He came back for only a moment, however, 
telling them they would have to apply to Aunt 
Euth or think up their own words, for he must go 
to see a patient. 

Mrs. Hillhouse was busy making a salad, so 
there was nothing for it but to play among them- 
selves. 

" I've thought of a word," said Carl. " Join a 
term used by printers — and it is also a girl's nick- 
name — to a place for a fire, by the letter ' i,' and 
make to go from one country to another to live." 

"Yours is harder than Uncle Konrad's," de- 
clared Alice. " Don't believe I could ever guess it." 

" I don't see as there are many places for a 
fire," laughed Bertha. " A stove and a furnace — 
yes, and a range and a fireplace. I can't think of 
any others." 

"There is at least one more," observed Carl. 
" You saw a fire in it, last week, when you went to 
— no, I won't tell. You'd sure guess it right off." 

All at once Bertha brightened. " I know," she 
cried. " It's emigrate ! " 

"Why didn't I think of that!" complained 
Norton. 



Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 189 

It was now Bertha's turn, and a word came to 
her; but she had to refer to the dictionary to 
make sure about its definition. 

" Join with the letter ' u ' a small, quick report 
— or sound — to something that is often used as a 
dress trimming, and make the common people of 
a country." 

Carl guessed this, which was populace, and then 
he gave another. 

" Join an insect to a fruit by the letter ' e,' and 
make to anticipate." 

They were still in the dark when Aunt Kuth 
came. 

After a little thought she gave the word, " ante- 
date." 

"Join what we sometimes take," said Aunt 
Ruth, " when we go over to Oakdale, to the front 
of an army or a big wagon such as is used for the 
moving of goods, and make a company of pilgrims 
traveling together for greater security." 

" What is the joining letter ? " asked Alice. 

"Oh, I forgot! That is 'a.'" 

" What we take when we go out to Oakdale," 
mused Bertha. "I take my coat on my arm 
sometimes." 

" I didn't say carry," laughed her aunt. 



1 90 Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 

Bertha looked raystifled ; but Carl began to 
smile. 

" I have it ! " he cried, a moment later. " It is 
caravan." 

I^orton was looking up at the clock. "It is 
almost time for us to go," he told them. 

"Just one more, and then we will," agreed 
Bertha. " Hurry up, Carl ! " 

But her brother couldn't think of a single word, 
and Aunt Euth gave one. 

" Join what we all do now, by the letter ' u,' to 
what we did this morning soon after we were 
dressed, and make a word meaning permanently 
fixed." 

"We are not doing anything now but sitting 
still," said Alice. 

Carl puckered his forehead, while Bertha put 
in: 

" I can't think of what it could be that we aU 
did this morning, unless it was to eat breakfast." 

" It is in the past tense," Carl mused. " I can 
make a word, but I don't know whether it is right. 
Is it situate ? " 

" Yes," answered his aunt. " It isn't so com- 
mon as situated, but it means the same." 

" Well," cried Alice, " 1 think we'd better hurry 



Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 191 

home now, for it is certainly time we were situate 
in bed." 

" Oh, Alice ! " laughed Carl, and added, " I hope 
we sha'n't be so ' permanently fixed ' that we can't 
get up in the morning." 



MIDNIGHT OBSERVATIONS 

At the girls' party which Mrs. Hillhouse gave 
for her young nieces, several novel sports were 
provided ; but none of them occasioned quite so 
much fun as " Midnight Observations." 

The guests were ushered into a room that was 
totally dark, and the door was shut behind them. 
Then Aunt Euth invited the sixteen to pick up a 
sheet from the floor, and to hold it with their 
left hands alone, one at each corner and three on 
a side. 

In the utter blackness, it took a long time to 
get the sheet straight, but, amid much chatter 
and squeals of laughter, it was finally accom- 
plished. 

Then the girl at one of the corners was given 
an article, and bidden to pass it along under the 
sheet, using only her right hand. During the 
short time it was in her possession, she was ex- 



192 Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 

pected to " observe " what it was, so as to be able 
to give its name when called upon. 

To the accompaniment of giggles and ejacula- 
tions, the article went along the line. Once it was 
dropped, and the girl was led quite a hunt before 
she was able to find it with her right hand alone. 

When it reached Bertha Chapin, she was sur- 
prised to feel that it was hot. What could it be ? 
She had little time to wonder before it was gone ; 
but she finally decided that it was a roasted 
potato, fresh from the oven. 

The next article caused more squealing than 
the other, and in a moment Bertha learned why 
— ^it was big and round and hard to handle. She 
was not sure about this, but thought it might be 
a monstrous grape-fruit. 

Only six articles were passed. The third and 
fourth Bertha could not make out while she held 
them. Later, she remembered that they felt like 
a big, smooth block of wood, and a baking tin. 

The fifth was a puzzle. It was very light in 
weight, very warm and soft, and Bertha, resolv- 
ing to know more of it before it left her, worked 
her fingers along its seemingly endless length. 
She finally came to a turn — was it a heel ? Yes, 
it must be a stuffed stocking ! 



Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 193 

The sixth and last caused much commotion 
from the start. Everybody, on first touching it, 
gave a little, screaming " Oh ! " or " Ow ! " There 
were gasps and excited mutterings. Bertha grew 
more and more eager as the thing came near. As 
her fingers grasped it, she let go the customary 
exclamation and the article at the same instant — 
it was smooth and heavy and cold as ice ! Vexed 
at her sudden fright, she stooped and calmly 
picked it up. In doing so, she recognized it as a 
stuffed glove — whether of rubber or kid she could 
not then determine. 

When the observers returned to the light, they 
found papers and pencils awaiting them, but only 
a few were able to hazard many guesses as to 
what had passed through their hands. 



THE GAME OF FRUITS 

" Are you all ready ? " inquired Bertha. " Has 
every one thought of a fruit ? " 

"Yes," they nodded, around the circle, and 
Bertha, who had been chosen first questioner, 
began by asking of Walter : 

" Where does your fruit grow ? '' 

" Oh, all over the United States, I guess ! Ex- 



194 Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 

cept, perhaps, away up north, where the summers 
are too short." 

Bertha paused to think. She was allowed three 
questions ; but if she guessed the fruit from the 
first answer, it counted for ten, while if from the 
second, she would have only five, and the third 
guess, even if correct, would bring her but one. 
If she failed entirely, she must give up her place 
to the one who had puzzled her. 

" Is it peach ? " she asked. 

It was, and so she went on to the one seated 
next, her sister Alice. 

"What kind of plant does your favorite fruit 
grow on ? " 

" A tree," was the prompt answer. 

" Apple ? " guessed Bertha. 

"No." 

" What color is it ? " 

" Oh, sometimes green, and sometimes yellow 
or brownish ! " 

"Banana?" 

" 1*^0," laughed Alice again. 

" Dear me ! " mused Bertha. " Is it sweet, or 
sour ? " 

" I like it better when it is pretty sweet." 

"Orange?" 



Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 195 

" No," chuckled her sister. 

" Well, what in the world is it, then ? " cried 
Bertha, whii^ling Alice to her feet and dropping 
into her chair. 

" Pear." 

" Oh, I never thought of that ! " she mourned. 

" I can give you a fruit that you won't guess in 
a hurry," spoke up Mr. Chapin, who had entered 
in time to hear the last few questions. 

" All right ! " Alice agreed. " You can sit in 
this chair between auntie and Carl. I dare say 
you'll get some fruit I never heard of." 

"No," he promised; "you have heard of this 
one all your life. It " 

" But you mustn't tell, papa ! " interrupted 
Alice. " That wouldn't be fair." 

"You'll need all the help you can get," he 
laughed. " But go on with your questions." 

" Well, what color is it ? " 

" White, yellow, green, and scarlet." 

" Oh, it's just an apple ! " 

" No," decidedly. 

" How big is it ? " 

" Anywhere from a few inches to five feet in 
length." 

" Why, Papa Chapin, you're just joking ! " 



196 Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 

" How tall a tree does it grow on ? " 

" Not a tree, but a vine, that is ten to thirty 
feet long." 

" I haven't the very least idea what it can be ! " 
cried Alice. " I guess it is some kind of queer 
squash you've heard of." 

" No, it isn't the squash, though a member of 
the same family. Squashes, pumpkins, cucumbers 
and melons all belong to the — shall I tell ? " 

" Yes, of course ! I've asked my three ques- 
tions." 

"Well, then, the gourd family." 

" 0-oh ! " exclaimed Alice. " But is that a 
fruit ? " 

" Eun to Webster, and see what he calls it," 
bade her father. 



WHO IS IT? 

At Bertha Chapin's party the game of " Who 
Is It ? " excited more fun than any other. 

" The boys can go in the library," Alice said, 
"and we girls can stay in here; but there 
must be an equal number in each room. How 
many are there of us ? " she mused, beginning to 
count. 



Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 197 

There were twenty-one boys, and only twenty 
girls. 

" Won't your aunt play with us ? " asked Clem- 
entine Hotchkiss. 

"I think so. Norton, please run and see if 
Aunt Kuth will come." 

Of course Mrs. Hillhouse would fill any gap, 
and Alice was presently explaining the game. 

" We must every one of us write a description 
of somebody in the other room, so the girls will 
write about the boys, and the boys about the girls. 
Then we write the name of the one we have chosen 
on the back of the paper, and when all the descrip- 
tions are ready we exchange papers, and begin 
reading them. Oh, I forgot ; the doors are shut 
till we are through writing, and then they are 
opened. There's going to be a prize for the girl 
or boy that writes the best description, and Uncle 
Konrad is going to be the judge." 

At this there was a soft flutter of gleeful 
comments, and then Carl and his brother dis- 
tributed the pads and pencils, after which the 
boys departed merrily, and the doors were slid 
together. 

"I haven't the least idea how to write it," 
mourned Jenny Proctor, '' nor who to write about. 



198 Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 

The boys look and dress so much alike. Their 
part will be much easier." 

" I'm not so sure of that," replied Isabel Ram- 
sey, and then her pencil began its task. 

Soon all were writing, stopping every minute or 
so for thought. 

"Wonder who'll get the most descriptions," 
ventured Sally Temple. 

" Sh ! " cautioned her next-chair neighbor, and 
all was still again. 

The girls were ready first, and the boys had to 
bear some good-natured bantering, on account of 
the delay ; but finally the doors were opened, and 
the reading began, the girls and boys alternating. 

" ' My boy,' " read Isabel, " ' is tall and slight, 
and as straight as a soldier. His eyes match the 
brown of his necktie, and his lips seldom let pass 
a word that is not pleasant to hear.' " 

Several boys answered to this description, and 
it was only after a number of guesses that the 
right name was given — that of Carl Chapin. 

Keith Morris was the next reader. 

" ' This girl has black hair and dancing black 
eyes. She has dimples, and she isn't afraid of 
anything.' " 

" Clementine Hotchkiss ! " was the instant guess, 



Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 199 

the description being true of the graceful, fearless 
young girl. 

There was increased interest as the readers went 
on ; but not a few of the delineations were very 
puzzling, and numerous guesses were made before 
the right names were reached. Finally it was 
Arthur Eamsey's turn, and he began his paper 
with a broad smile. 

" ' The girl I like is very pretty, with beautiful 

pink hair, and eyes ' " He got no further 

for the burst of laughter that overpowered his 
voice. 

" Pink hair ! " giggled the girls. 

" Ho ! ho ! ho ! " jeered the boys. 

"Go on, Arthur!" called out Tom Hunter. 
" Are her eyes pink, too ? " 

" ' And eyes,' " resumed the reader, " * so blue 
that they look like a doll's eyes. She's just a 
dandy girl ! ' " 

'* Ernestine Bell ! " cried somebody, and the 
rest assented, " Yes, Ernestine Bell," while the 
shy little maid of the auburn hair blushed at the 
praise given her. 

Just after the last girl had been guessed, supper 
was served, and the papers were passed over to 
Uncle Konrad, who had been appointed judge. 



200 Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 

The description which won the prize was writ- 
ten of Alice Chapin, by Thomas Hunter. 

" She is small and full of grace, with bright 
brown eyes and light curly hair. Her feet can 
outstrip those of any other girl in school, and she 
is not a bad match for the swiftest boy racer. 
Her brain is as quick as her feet, and it is fun 
to talk with her. She is always pleasant and 
smiling, never makes a mean remark about any- 
body, and never whines or fusses when things go 
wrong." 

The prize was a picture of Blarney Castle, and 
Tom was very proud of it. Alice, however, laugh- 
ingly declared that he shouldn't be, since he won 
it by writing " all that blarney " about her. 



THE ENCHANTING PENCIL 

The children had been having a royal good 
time at Hillhouse Cottage all Saturday, and the 
sunset hour found them in the light of the big hall 
hearth-fire, eager for a novel game. 

Aunt Ruth went to her writing-desk and brought 
back a long lead-pencil and some gay baby ribbons. 

" I am going to make an enchanting pencil," she 
observed ; " one that will write the name of any 



i 



Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 201 

color we choose," and she began to wind it with 
the bright little ribbons. 

" Isn't that pretty ! " admired Alice, as her aunt 
held it up, in its attire of red, green, yellow, blue, 
orange and purple, with its fluttering bows and 
ends. 

" Now we will let Carl take this out into the 
dining-room, while we choose a color for it to 
write." 

As soon as the curtains had closed behind him, 
Mrs. Hillhouse asked : 

" What color shall we select ? " 

" Blue," proposed Bertha. 

" All right," and Aunt Ruth stepped across the 
hall. " Bring in your pencil ! " she called, and 
then, fetching a sheet of paper, she bade him let 
the enchanting pencil write the color chosen. 

" Hold it loosely," she said ; " a mere tracing 
will be enough for us to read." 

To the astonishment of the others, the gay little 
pencil began at once to make a B, and then in a 
trice the word was complete. 

" How does he do it ? " cried Alice. " Of course 
the pencil can't ! " 

" I think he heard," declared Norton. " He has 
awfully sharp ears." 



202 Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 

" I didn't hear a single thing ! " insisted Carl ; 
but his aunt bade him go out again, and then prove 
it to them. 

" I will write it this time," she went on to the 
others;" and producing a little gold pencil she 
wrote, "Yellow." 

" Is that all right ? " she asked them. 

They nodded, and she tossed the paper on the 
fire. 

" You can come back now, Carl," she called. 

As before, the bright-colored pencil traced the 
right word, and the children were more and more 
mystified. 

" I think she told him that it was going to be 
yellow," asserted Bertha, " for how else could he 
know?" 

" Try it again ? " he laughed. 

" Yes, yes ! " they cried, and away he ran. 

" I want to write the word this time," said 
Bertha, and in response to her aunt's, " You may," 
she wrote, " Brown." 

" Bring on the enchanting pencil," bade Aunt 
Euth at the dining-room entrance, and Carl ap- 
peared. 

" Brown " was at once traced on the paper. 

" It is the funniest thing ! " laughed Alice. 



Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 203 

" There doesn't seem to be the least clue," 
chimed in Bertha. 

" I believe I can puzzle him," spoke up Norton. 
" I want to try at this ! " 

So Carl skipped away with his mysterious 
pencil. 

Norton wrote " Lavender," and held up the 
paper for the rest to see. 

" The other colors have been just common ones," 
he explained. " This is different — you see if he 
can think of this ! " 

" Keady now, Carl ! " called Bertha. 

" Let us see what you can do now," added his 
aunt, as he approached the group. 

For a minute he paused. 

"What did I tell you ! " chuckled his brother. 

But Carl was already writing, and the word 
under the pencil was " lavender." 

" Huh ! " ejaculated the disappointed Norton, 
"how in the world do you do it ? " 

" Eemember, this is an enchanting pencil," 
laughed Aunt Euth. 

" I believe I know," put in Bertha, slowly. 
" May I take the pencil and try it ? " 

" Sure ! " cried Carl. " But," he added slyly, 
" the pencil may not work so well in your hands."' 



204 Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 

^' We'll see! " she retorted, and ran away laugh- 
ing. 

The word selected was white, though Aunt Kuth 
explained that it was not really a color. Carl and 
Alice wanted it, however, so she called to Bertha : 

"We are all ready now." 

The three crowded around her, eager to find out 
if she really could do it. 

She thought a minute, her hand on the paper. 
Then she wrote, " White." 

" Well, do tell a fellow ! " cried Norton. " I 
can't bear this sort of thing much longer ! It 
looks to me like witchcraft ! " 

Bertha glanced toward her aunt. " I wasn't 
quite sure," she said ; " but I thought it must be 
that." 

" Did you call me on purpose to make me trip ? " 
laughed Carl. '' If auntie hadn't spoken just as 
she did, I should have written red. That was 
what your call meant." 

" Why-ee ! I never thought anything about it 
then! What did I say ? " 

" You called out, ' Eeady now, Carl ! ' " 

" So I did ! " 

" But blessed Aunt Kuth saved me just in time," 
said Carl. 



Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 205 

"I wish you'd tell us what you are talking 
about ! " grumbled Norton. " I can't make any- 
thing out of it." 

"Neither can I," complained Alice. "You 
might as well be talking Greek." 

" Why, it's this way," laughed Bertha : " when 
auntie called us she took the initial letter of the 
color for the first letter of her first word, and her 
sentence had as many words in it as there were 
letters in the name of the color. Isn't that it, 
AuntKuth?" 

Mrs. Hillhouse smiled her assent, while Alice 
asked: 

" But how did Carl know how to do it ? I 
can't see." 

" Oh," replied her brother, " auntie coached me 
early this afternoon." 

" I knew it wasn't any enchanted pencil ! " de- 
clared Alice. 

"I didn't say it was enchanted, my dear," 
laughed her aunt, " but enchanting." 

" Well, that's just what it is," Alice agreed, 
" for it has surely been enchanting us for the last 
hour." 



2o6 Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 

THE DICTIONARY'S SONS 

"Aui^T KuTH, we want a new game. Have 
you one for us ? " Alice smiled coaxingiy up into 
her aunt's face. 

"Lessons all ready for to-morrow?" asked 
Aunt Euth. 

" Ours are,'' answered Carl. " Poor ITorton is 
still at his spelling and deJBnitions. It is ' reason ' 
and ' season ' and all those ; but I guess he'll have 
them by the time we get down-stairs." 

" You may call him now. I have a game that 
will help him to remember." 

Off raced the trio in great glee while Aunt 
Euth followed more slowly. 

" Do you know how many sons the dictionary 
has ? " questioned Aunt Euth, when they were all 
seated. 

" How many sons ? " echoed Carl, puckering up 
his forehead. 

"Yes. You gave two, rea-son and sea-son. 
Who can think of another ? Give only the defi- 
nition — not the word." 

" Oh ! " they chorused. 

" Why, that'll be our lesson ! " cried Alice. 
" Norton's and mine." 



Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 207 

" So much the better. That is why I chose the 
sons for to-night," smiled Aunt Euth. 

" There's a son that's a preacher," said Alice. 

" Can anybody guess ? " asked Bertha. 

Her aunt nodded. " That is parson." 

" I know a colored son," said Carl. 

" Crimson ! " cried Alice. " Oh, this is fun ! " 

" I've just been learning a mean kind of son," 
said Norton, " one that isn't loyal." 

" That is treason," said Alice. 

" Which son guards a fort ? " asked Aunt Ruth. 

For a minute nobody could guess. Then Carl 
shouted, " Garrison ! " 

" There is a son that each one of us could an- 
swer to," said Aunt Ruth. 

This seemed too hard. 

" I will make it plainer. I mean a son that is 
simply a human being." 

" Oh, a person ! " exclaimed Bertha. 

" I know a son that builds houses," said Norton. 

" Mason," guessed Bertha. 

"A son that gathers in wicked folks," cried 
Carl. 

They scowled over this — all but Aunt Ruth. 
Finally she had to give it, " Prison." 

" One son we eat," said she. 



2o8 Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 

And Alice guessed, " Damson." 

" There's one dreadful son," said Norton. 

This was left for Aunt Kuth — poison. 

"There is another son we eat, which comes 
from the Adirondacks," said Aunt Ruth. 

None of the children could guess that, until their 
aunt said, " We had it for dinner a week ago." 

" Oh, venison ! " shouted Carl. 

" There are a good many sons that are not in 
our lesson," said Alice, and then she giggled. 
" There are plenty of one kind of sons in school," 
she added gleefully. 

" Lessons," laughed Bertha, 

"It is so near bedtime," said Aunt Euth, "I 
think I shall have to give you my son that is a 
blessing." 

For several minutes they thought hard. 

Then Bertha said softly, " Benison." 



FAMOUS CHARACTERS 

" Let's play ' Famous Characters ' ! " called out 
Alice Chapin, as she led a stream of girls into the 
school yard for recess. 

" What's that ? " asked several. 

" Oh, it's a game we've played at home two or 



Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 209 

three times, and it's lots of fun ! You have to 
have two leaders that are familiar with authors ; 
but it's easy." 

" You and Bertha had better be leaders, then," 
returned Anita Reynolds, " for you know all 
about it, and we don't." 

" We must choose a goal," said Bertha ; " we'll 
take that post across the yard, and Alice and I 
will stand at equal distances from it. Then all 
the rest of you form in line, and we take turns in 
calling characters. Alice, you call a name, and 
they'll see how it goes." 

" Little Boy Blue." 

" Now," directed Bertha, " all that know who 
wrote about Little Boy Blue, or what book Ije is 
in, must take one step out of line. That's right. 
You're the first. Hazel — we take them in order, 
so you can tell." 

" It's in Mother Goose." 

"Yes, and so you must come and take your 
place right behind Alice. Now I'll call. I want 
^ Little Nell.' All who know who wrote about 
her must step forward." 

Only five could answer. Sally Temple stood 
first, and gave the author's name promptly — 
" Charles Dickens." 



210 Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 

She skipped over and stood behind Bertha, 
while Alice called : 

" Uncle Tom." 

Isabel Kamsey answered, " Mrs. Harriet Beecher 
Stowe," and took her place behind Hazel. 

" Enoch Arden," called Bertha. 

Clementine Hotchkiss was the only one that 
stepped forward, so she gave the author — " Tenny- 
son." 

Alice then called for Bobby Shaf to, and gained 
Minna Clay for her line. 

But Bertha's call, " Tom Brown," was un- 
answered. 

" Hasn't anybody read that splendid book ? " 
she questioned. 

" Why, yes," replied Martha Whitcomb ; " but 
I haven't the least idea who wrote it." And that 
was the way with the others. 

"Well, remember, it was Thomas Hughes," 
laughed Bertha. "I've lost that call— go on, 
Alice ! " 

" Little Prince Dusty." 

After a moment of doubt, Jenny Proctor ven- 
tured, " Is it Kirk Munroe ? " 

" Of course," was the reply, and then Bertha 
named, " Hans Brinker." 



Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 21 1 

"Mrs. Mary Mapes Dodge," answered Betty 
Rice, and took the fourth place in Bertha's line. 

Alice called next for Little Lord Fauntleroy, 
but notwithstanding nearly all the girls had read 
the beautiful story, nobody knew who wrote it. 

" Oh, dear ! " sighed Alice, " I thought 1 was 
going to beat Bertha. It is Mrs. Burnett, and 
don't one of you dare to forget ! " 

" Hamlet," called Bertha, and, for a wonder, 
three stepped forward. 

Jessica Brown gave the answer, and ran to her 
place behind Betty. 

So the game went on, with many characters to 
whom nobody was able to assign an author ; but 
at last all the players were included in the two 
lines. 

" I have the largest number," said Alice ; " but 
we haven't beaten yet. The race decides that. 
Now when I count three, I and my followers are 
going to run for the goal, and you of the other 
line may catch us if you can. Anybody who is 
caught counts on your line. Now, all ready ! 
One — two — three ! " 

Away they dashed in a wild race. The head 
ones reached the goal without much trouble ; but 
those in the rear were chased all over the yard, 



2 1 2 Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 

and three of them captured. Even that number, 
however, failed to bring Bertha's line to the 
length of her sister's, and the others were the 
final victors. 



PARTRIDGE AND HUNTER 

Mrs. Hillhouse with four of her nieces and 
nephews, the Kamsey children, and Clementine 
Hotchkiss, were spending a charming vacation 
day in the woods, when Norton proposed the 
game of " Partridge." 

" Don't you remember. Aunt Ruth ? " he went 
on; "you taught it to us last summer up in 
Winnehasset. We haven't played it since." 

" Let's count out for hunter and partridge ! " 
cried Carl, as they gathered around Mrs. Hill- 
house. 

" Oh, don't count me in ! " she protested, as 
Carl's finger pointed in her direction. " I'm too 
tired. I'd rather sit here and watch the game." 

The parts of hunter and partridge fell to 
Clementine and Carl, and the girl dropped down 
beside Mrs. Hillhouse, while Carl took his flock 
off into the deeper wood. Meantime the lady 
explained the game. 



Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 213 

^^Carl will hide his birds," she said, "one or 
two together, or separately, and then conceal 
himself not far away ; but as soon as you come 
close, he will spring up with a great whir, and 
will endeavor to lead you in the wrong direction 
by every device he can think of. If the hunter 
succeeds in catching all the birds within a given 
time, he and the partridge change places for 
another game." 

" Oh, it must be great fun ! " cried Clementine. 

" Yes," agreed Mrs. Hillhouse, " and this wood, 
where there are so many evergreens, is a fine 
place to play in." 

A long " Coo-hoo-o-o-o ! " made the girl spring 
to her feet. 

" How much time is allowed ? " she asked. 

" I think we put it at ten minutes last summer," 
was the reply. " I will call when it is up," she 
added ; " and if I am to see the sport, I must 
follow on." And she walked along the path in 
the wake of Clementine's flying feet. 

The girl soon came upon Carl, who at once 
tried to distract her attention from where he 
had hidden his brood. But, remembering Aunt 
Ruth's words, she was not to be misled by any 
of his queer or amusing antics, and, going in the 



214 Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 

opposite direction, she shortly discovered the five. 
Then she had only to catch the " old partridge " 
himself, which, being fleet of foot, she was soon 
able to do. 

Then Carl lingered beside his aunt, while Clem- 
entine went off with her brood. 

" That Clem is the brightest girl ! " declared 
Carl, as she vanished from sight behind a little, 
shrubby hillock. " I expect she'll lead me a chase 
before I find her young ones. And she'll do the 
most ridiculous things, I know ; but I'm not going 
to let her mislead me with any of her maneuvers 
if I can help it. The only trouble is they will be 
so funny that I shall waste time watching her, I 
dare say." 

" Coo-hoo-oo ! " came faintly and lingeringly 
through the wood, and Carl sprang in its direc- 
tion, Aunt Kuth leisurely following. 

Carl had been right ; Clementine was a funny, 
a very funny, mother partridge. With graceful 
nimbleness she ran odd little races on hands and 
feet, and on elbows and knees ; she skipped and 
danced and whirled, while the hunter kept steadily 
to the opposite direction from that which she 
took. 

All in vain, however, was his search in ever- 



Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 215 

green thickets or behind great rocks ; not a " little 
bird " could he discover. At last Aunt Euth an- 
nounced, " Time up ! " and Carl dropped on a 
mossy log in mock despair. 

" I'd like to know where in the world you have 
hidden them ! " he cried, as the " mother par- 
tridge " drew near. " In some outlandish place, I 
dare say ! '' 

Clementine laughed. 

" Going to give up ? " she queried. 

" Might as well," he returned. " I don't believe 
I could find them, if I hunted a week." 

" All right ! Show yourselves, my nestlings ! " 
And, to Carl's amazement, the five sprang out 
from behind covers almost at the very edge of 
which Clementine had been performing her tricks. 

" Wh-why ! " exclaimed Carl, " you were right 
along there all the time ! " 

" Of course I was ! " laughed the girl. " Wasn't 
that fair, Mrs. Hillhouse ? " 

" Entirely fair," was the smiling answer. " Tour 
part was to deceive the hunter." 

" And she did it completely ! " declared Carl. 
" It seems as if I'd have thought she was fooling 
me, but I didn't. I supposed, of course, she'd go 
in quite the opposite direction from where she'd 



2i6 Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 

hidden her children — just as the real partridge 

does; but " And he ended in a burst of 

laughter. 

FISHERMEN 

" Let's play ' Fishermen,' " proposed Bertha, as 
Mrs. Hotchkiss and Clementine seated themselves 
for a neighborly visit. "Everybody can play 
that." 

" Another new game ? " laughed Clementine. 

" Yes," answered Carl, " Aunt Euth's latest." 

" You'd better be the one to ask qestions," said 
Bertha, " for you know so much about fishing." 

Her brother laughed his denial of her praise, but 
said he would do his best, and left the room. 

"Now, papa," began Bertha, "you tell us all 
about some fish, so we'll know just what to say in 
answer to Carl's questions." 

For a few moments there was a soft buzz of 
voices in the library, while the fish was decided 
upon, and its peculiarities and the methods of 
catching it were described. Finally Carl was 
called back. 

" We've been fishing," announced Alice. 

"Indeed!" laughed her brother. "Where- 
abouts?" 



Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 217 

" In Massachusetts Bay," she answered promptly. 

" Row did you fish ? " he asked of Clementine. 

" Well," she smiled, " I went trolling in a sail- 
boat, with a hook and a wired line." 

^' Oh, he has sharp teeth, has he ? " laughed 
Carl. " Let me see ; mother, how big was your 
fish?" 

" Oh, I caught a good many ! " she answered. 
" They were from one to three feet long and they 
weighed from five to fourteen pounds." 

" Whew ! pretty big, weren't they ? Mrs. 
Hotchkiss, when is it at its best for eating ? " 

" I believe toward the last of summer." 

" Father, what color is it ? " 

" The upper part is blue, the lower part whitish, 
and it has a large black spot at the base of the 
pectoral fins." 

" Dear me ! " mused Carl, " I haven't much idea 
of what a pectoral fin is." 

" The pectoral fins," explained Mr. Chapin, " are 
on the sides, behind the gills." 

" Norton, is it the foe of any other fish ? " 

" Oh, you've guessed it ! " cried his brother. 

" Well, tell me ! " insisted Carl. 

" Yes, it chases the mackerel, so as to send lots 
of them up on the beaches." 



2i8 Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 

" What are some of its peculiarities, Bertha ? " 

"The others have told about everything," 
laughed Bertha. " Oh, yes, it disappears from a 
coast for years, and then suddenly comes back." 

"I think it is the bluefish," said Carl. "I 
guessed it on the color. That was papa's an- 
swer, so he will have to ask the questions next 
time." 

" Oh, yes ; and let's get one he can't guess ! " 
chuckled Alice. 

" But who'll tell us about the fish ? " queried 
Bertha. 

" 'Cyclopedia ! " cried Carl. 

So Mr. Chapin left them to hunt up another fish. 

When he returned, they greeted him with glee- 
ful faces. 

" We've been fishing," announced Norton. 

" So I suppose. Where did you go ? " 

"To a little brook up in Maine." 

" How did you catch them ? " he asked of 
Bertha. 

" Well we could get them almost any way, but 
I used a hook and line." 

"Easy to catch, are they?" nodding toward 
Alice. 

" Yes, sir." 



Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 219 

" H'm," he mused, " then it isn't trout," at which 
they all laughed. 

" How large is it ? " to Carl. 

"Two or three inches long. The kind we 
caught is about two inches." 

"Clementine, please tell me what color they 
are." 

" At the season when they build their nests," she 
answered, " the father birds — I mean fishes — who 
always make the nests, have carmine red throats 
and bluish-green eyes. Then the rest is olive 
green, with yellow-green sides, and some are ashy- 
green and silvery." 

" What are the nests made of ? " he asked of his 
wife. 

" Vegetable fibers, matted together, attached to 
water plants." 

"Are they found anywhere except up in 
Maine ? " 

" Oh, yes ! " replied Mrs. Hotchkiss. " I think 
they are all through the streams of Great Britain, 
and all along our coast from Labrador to New 
York." 

" You've described the stickleback pretty welL" 
smiled Mr. Chapin. 

" Well, I want to play the game again some 



220 Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 

time," declared Clementine. " I never learned so 
much about fishes in all my life, and it's fun to 
know about them." 



NUT GATHERING 

Mrs. Hillhouse gave frequent little parties for 
her young relatives, and on one delightful even- 
ing the doctor arranged a novel sport that oc- 
casioned great fun. 

Three big boxes of oats were brought in from 
the stable, and placed in the hall. Then Aunt 
Kuth presented each girl and boy with a pretty 
basket, while Uncle Konrad proposed that they 
hunt for the nuts that were scattered among the 
oats. 

" There are ten kinds," the physician told them, 
" and the one that gathers the greatest number of 
nuts or the most of a kind will hear from me 
further. Now to work ! " 

There was a rush for the hall, where they found 
that a place had been assigned to each, the colors 
of the bows on the sides of the boxes correspond- 
ing to the ribbons on their baskets. Two boys 
and two girls knelt at each box, and at the given 
signal how the oats flew ! 



Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 221 

But if anybody had counted on winning in a 
hurry, he was disappointed. The large nuts, like 
the Brazil nuts, butternuts, and English walnuts, 
were easily gathered ; but the filberts and beech- 
nuts slipped away from the eager fingers, and the 
little pine nuts eluded them most of all. 

" There isn't another nut in that box ! " declared 
Bertha Chapin, as she dropped a small filbert into 
her well-filled basket. 

But a moment more, and Clementine Hotchkiss 
dropped three little pine nuts into her basket, and 
Arthur Eamsey announced the discovery of a 
single peanut. 

" Oh, dear ! " lamented Bertha, " I wish I hadn't 
stopped I " and fell to work again ; but the box 
was now indeed empty. 

When the nuts were counted, Clementine's 
basket held more than any other, forty-eight in 
all, and Carl Chapin had nineteen pecans, the 
largest number of any one kind. 

Bertha looked a bit regretfully at the book 
which Clementine received from the doctor's 
hands, for the nuts in her own basket numbered 
forty-five. If she hadn't given up so soon ! And 
then, with a sincere smile, she congratulated her 
friend on her success. "It is better so," she 



222 Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 

thought generously, " for it wouldn't have seemed 
quite the thing for both prizes to have been borne 
off by Chapins." 

Then fruit and nut-crackers were brought out, 
and the enjoyment of eating the nuts was found 
to be almost as great as that of gathering them. 



IMPROMPTU ACROSTICS 

Mrs. Hillhouse and the four Chapin children 
were on the piazza, when the doctor called from 
within : 

" Eose ! Eose ! Where are you ? " 

His wife met him at the door, and they disap- 
peared together in the hallway. 

" Aunt Euth," Alice queried curiously, as she 
came back, " what makes Uncle Konrad call you 
Eose?" 

" That is a secret," she laughed. 

" Well," Alice went on, " why can't we call you 
so, too ? I think Aunt Eose would be ever so 
much nicer than Aunt Euth. May we ? " 

" Why, yes, if you wish." 

"Oh,Vedo!" " That will be jolly ! " "Won't 
it seem funny, though ! " " Eose sounds more 
like you than Euth ! " 



Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 223 

So they chattered on, until their aunt said : 

" Speaking of names reminds me of a game I 
thought of the other day. It will be good to 
develop quick thinking." 

'^ What is it ? " they clamored. 

" I will tell you ; but before we begin we had 
better each be provided with paper and pencil. 
Alice, will you bring some, please ? 

" It is very simple," she resumed. " You may 
as well start it, Carl, for your name is shortest. 
Give us the definition of four nouns whose initials 
•pell your Christian name, and whoever guesses 
any of the words can write it on his paper, and it 
counts him one." 

"All right! I'll give an animal, a fruit, a 
flower, and a bird." 

" Is the bird a lark ? " questioned Bertha. 

"Yes." 

" Oh, one for me ! " his sister chuckled, writing 
it down. 

" Is the animal a cow ? " guessed Norton. 

"Yes." 

" A rose ? " from Alice. 

Carl nodded. 

" I can't think what fruit begins with A," be- 
gan Bertha. " Oh, apple ! Is it ? " 



224 Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 

It was, which gave Bertha another word. 

It was Norton's turn next, and after much 
deliberation he gave : 

" A bird, a fruit, another fruit, a flower, a bird, 
and a flower." 

" I forgot to say," put in Mrs. Hillhouse, " that 
no word can be used twice." 

" I wondered about that," replied Norton, " so 
I took a new one for the K." 

They were a good while guessing this, but finally 
the words were all down — two on Bertha's paper, 
two on Carl's, and one each on Alice's and their 
aunt's. In order they were : Nightingale, Orange, 
Kaspberry, Tulip, Oriole, and Nasturtium. 

" That is a regular acrostic, isn't it ? " spoke up 
Bertha. " I didn't think that it was till now." 

" We will name the game Imjpromptu AcrosticSy^ 
nodded Mrs. Hillhouse. " Now, Alice ! " 

"An animal," responded Alice, at length, "a 
flower, a piece of land, a spice, and a bird. 

When these were guessed, they stood : Ape, Lily, 
Isle, Cinnamon, and Eagle. 

Bertha's definitions were : " An insect, an ani- 
mal, a plant, a piece of furniture, a bird, and a 
flower," and they stood for : Butterfly, Elephant, 
Rhubarb, Table, Hawk, and Arbutus. 



Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 225 

" Now look out for hard ones ! " laughed Carl, 
glancing toward his aunt. 

^'A bird, a flower, a tree, and a fish," she 
responded. 

" Kobin, for E ? " asked Carl, quickly. 

"No." 

" A raven ? " queried Bertha. 

"Yes." 

" U," mused Carl. " I don't know many TJ's — 
wish I could look in the dictionary just about now ! " 

" Is it Tamarind— for T^? " asked Alice. 

" No," laughed her aunt. 

" I don't see what there is to laugh at ! " returned 
Alice. " Isn't there a tamarind tree ? " 

"Surely." 

" Tulip tree ? " questioned Norton. 

"No." 

" I can't think of any fish that begins with H," 
scowled Bertha. 

"Didn't I tell you she'd give us some hard 
ones ? " cried Carl. 

" Oh, Herring ! " shouted Norton. " Auntie, is 
it Herring?" 

"No." 

" Halibut ? " eagerly asked Alice. 

"No." 



226 Playtime Games for Boys and Girk 

"Haddock? "cried Carl. 

"No." 

"Isn't there a fish called hake?" questioned 
Norton. "Is it Hake?" 

"No." 

"Aw, we never can guess 'em!" frowned 
Norton. 

" Hadn't you better try the right letters, then ? " 
responded his aunt, quietly. 

" The right letters ? " he repeated, looking puz- 
zled. " How is Kuth spelled, if it isnH K-u-t-h ? " 

"Kuth is," she smiled, "but I thought that 
wasn't to be my name any more." 

" O-o-h ! " they shouted. 

" 'Course it's Rose," cried Alice. 

" What dunces we are, to be sure ! " laughed CaxL 

" Is the flower Orchis ? " asked Bertha. 

"Yes." 

" Spruce, for the tree ? " queried Norton. 

"No." 

" Sycamore ? " from Carl. 

"Yes." 

" Is it Eel for E ? " guessed Alice. 

" Yes." 

" Oh, you naughty Aunt Rose," laughed Carl, 
" to fool us so ! " 



Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 227 



THE MOTHER GOOSE PANTOMIMES 

Uncle Konrad and his wife were spending 
the evening with the Chapins, and soon after tea 
Mrs. Eamsey came in with Isabel and Arthur. 

The young folks, grouped together in the hall- 
way, made merry plans. Finally Alice ran into 
the living-room with her announcement. 

" We are going to give scenes in pantomime 
from a book, and we want you to be ready to 
guess what they are." 

" All right ! " responded Dr. Hillhouse, in his 
hearty, musical voice, while the rest nodded and 
smiled their willingness to act as audience. 

There was much soft chatter and laughter in the 
hall, and then the exhibition was started by the 
entrance of Norton, walking on hands and feet. 
He was followed by Isabel, who had on a long 
white apron and a little handkerchief cap. She 
hobbled along on a cane, and went straight to the 
cupboard beside the fireplace, opening the door, 
and peering among the shelves. Then, with a 
doleful face, she threw out her hands, and gazed 
mournfully at the creature on four legs. 

Mrs. Hillhouse chanted softly : 



228 Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 

" ' Old Mother Hubbard 
Went to the cupboard, 

To get her poor dog a bone ; 
But when she came there, 
The cupboard was bare, 

And so the poor dog had none.' '^ 

There was a good deal of clatter in the back 
part of the house before the children appeared 
again. Then the three boys came, carrying a 
wash-tub. They deposited it on the floor, and 
proceeded to get inside of it, or as far in as pos- 
sible, and at once began a noisy tattoo upon its 

sides. 

'' ' Eub-a-dub dub, 

Three men in a tub,' '' 

quoted the doctor, which sent the young actors 
oflf in a whirl of mirth. 

The third pantomime showed a queer little pro- 
cession. Isabel led, wearing a trained skirt and 
an old velvet bodice of Mrs. Chapin's. She was 
closely followed by Alice and Bertha, dressed in 
what were, apparently, the most ragged clothes 
they could find, their dilapidated skirts trailing oflf 
behind in a comical fashion. Capering around 
them, on hands and feet, were the three boys ; 
and their frequent " bow- wow- wows " made the 
guessing of the rhyme easy. 



Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 229 

<*'Hark, hark, 

The dogs do bark, 
The beggars are comiug to town ; 

Some in rags, 

Some on nags, 
And some in velvet gowns. ^ '' 

Mrs. Chapin started the lines, Mrs. Hillhouse 
joining in; whereupon, with much fluttering 
of skirts, the girls raced away, to the accom- 
paniment of giggles and bow-wow-wow-wow- 
wows. 

There were more pantomimes : Simple Simon 
with his fishing-pole and pail of water; Little 
Miss Muffet, who was frightened by a toy spider ; 
Mistress Mary, with her bells and cockle-shells 
and maidens; Jack Horner, and Jack and Jill. 
Finally, the last one was announced, and after a 
long waiting the children came in. 

Alice was playing violently upon an imaginary 
fiddle, Norton, on four feet, was laughing infec- 
tiously, Carl, choosing an empty space in the room, 
gave a tremendously high jump, while Arthur 
and Bertha tripped along, arm in arm, one clasp- 
ing a dish, the other a big spoon. 

The spectators were so much interested in this 
that nobody thought to give the rhyme, and in 



230 Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 

the midst of the laughter Alice piped out, " Can't 
you guess it ? " 

^^^Hey! diddle, diddle,' " 

cried the doctor, 

' ^ ' The cat and the fiddle. 
The cow jumped over the moon ; 

The little dog laughed 

To see such sport, 
And the dish ran away with the spoon.' " 

Then he sprang up. " I want to give one ! " he 
exclaimed, and taking a candle from the mantel 
he lighted it, and still holding it in his hand he 
stretched out his arms with a big yawn. 

The children seemed puzzled ; but their elders 
caught the cue, and Mr. Chapin jumped up, made 
a gesture for the doctor to stay where he was, and 
dashed out into the dining-room. He returned 
almost at once with a dish of apples and bananas. 

Then Carl began to sing : 

a i ii Tq |3^^^ ^Q bed,'' says Sleepyhead ; 
'^ Let's stay a while,'' says Slow; 
"Put on the pot," says Greedy -gut, 
" We'll sup before we go." ' " 



Playtime Games for Boys and Girls 231 
The other children took up the refrain : 

a Hi We'll sup before we go, 

We'll sup before we go,'' ' " 

and the pantomimes ended with a little feast and 
great good cheer. 



Index 



Acting Rhymes, 133. 

Air, Earth, and Water — A 

Party Game, 43. 
Aunt Ruth^s Bridal Bouquet, 

163. 
Aunt Ruth's "Thinking" 

Game, 34. 

Beggars' Anagrams, 115. 
Bible Chain, 102. 
Bible Initials, 137. 
Blindman's Choice, 73. 
Blindman's Phrenology, 128. 
Bottle Races, 99. 
Bouquets, 107. 
Box Ball, 112. 
Bridal Bouquet, 163. 

Come and Get Me, 62. 

Cucumbers, 54. 

Deer Hunt, The, 76. 
Dictionary's Sons, The, 206. 

Ears for Eyes, 20, 
Enchanting Pencil, The, 200. 
Entertaining Joinery, 186. 

Famous Characters, 208. 
Fishermen, 216. 
Flicksy-Tricksy, 125. 
Fruits, 193. 



Game of Fruits, The, 193. 
Geographical Pantomimes, 166. 
Going Abroad, 67. 
Going Into Business, 152, 

Holiday Family, The, 117. 
Hop and Hold, 59. 
How Many Are Going By ? 94. 
Hungry Beggars, 29. 

Impromptu Acrostics, 222. 
Initials — A Party Game, 84. 

Landmarks — A Road Game, 

45- 
Lentil Arithmetic, 88. 
Little Betty Blue, 159. 
Little Bo-Peep, 15. 
Little Old Lady of Lynn, The, 

7. 

Magic— An Old Game with 

A New Name, 64. 
Magic Writing, 146. 
Magnetized Cane, The, 174. 
Memory Test, The, 182. 
Midnight Observations, 191. 
Mother Goose Pantomimes, 227, 
Mrs. Morse's Horse, 70. 

Naming the Flower, 140. 
Novel Spelling, 97. 



Index 



233 



Nut Gathering, 220. 

Out of Place, 48. 

Partridge and Hunter, 
Party Pantomimes, 56. 
Planting the Farm, 130. 

Queen of Q's, The, 23. 

Rainy-Sunday Game, A, 
Rosetta Pope's School, 155. 

Sandman, The, i i. 
Shopping, 105. 
Spelling Game, A, 177. 



Stony Alphabet, A, 172. 

Tabooed Initials, 121. 
" Thinking " Game, 34. 
212. Thumb-Toss, 36. 

" Tom, Tom, Tommy," 109. 
Toothpickville School, 90. 
Two Rainy-Day Games, 58. 



39. 



Vanishing View, The, 86. 

Who Is It ? 196. 
Who Likes Me Best ? 38. 
Wolf in the Pasture, 51. 
Word Guessing, 136. 
Word Surgery, 142. 



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